"Feds gave the go-ahead for the East Wing project but did note that the president’s oversized plans would create “a visual imbalance” with the rest of the White House."
"The National Park Service gave President Donald Trump the go-ahead to tear down the White House’s East Wing earlier this year after a streamlined environmental review concluded the negative effects of the president’s planned ballroom wouldn’t be too significant and despite the final design remaining a work in progress, new court filings show.
Fighting a legal challenge, the Trump administration belatedly made public its assessment of the ballroom project, including the National Park Service’s determination that there would be “no significant impact.”
The Trump administration also defended its need to continue with the ballroom construction, in part, by arguing it is a matter of national security, according to the court filings. In its lawsuit filed Friday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation requested the construction be halted."
Heather Richards, Michael Doyle, and Ellie Borst report for E&E News December 16, 2025.
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