Overview
- U.S. District Judge Richard Leon signaled deep skepticism at a hearing, calling the administration’s legal theory an “end-run” around Congress and saying he expects to rule on a preliminary injunction in the coming weeks.
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to halt the roughly $400 million, 90,000-square-foot project, arguing the White House lacks express congressional authorization and that an adequate environmental review began only after demolition.
- Leon previously denied an emergency halt but barred below-ground work that would lock in the ballroom footprint, while the administration argues a pause risks security and structural harm and says above-ground construction is not planned before April.
- The judge pressed the government over its private-funding route—donations funneled through the National Park Service to the Executive Residence—repeatedly likening it to a “Rube Goldberg” scheme.
- Design review advanced as the Commission of Fine Arts, led by a new Trump-appointed chair, requested more modeling and raised scale concerns, while the National Capital Planning Commission targets a March 5 vote with public speakers to register starting Feb. 12.