The National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed a lawsuit to stop President Trump’s White House ballroom construction. The group says no president is allowed to tear down parts of the White House “without any review whatsoever.”
Let’s bring in CBS News White House Reporter Willie James Inman. Willie, what’s the argument here, and what’s the White House saying about it?
– Hey there, Liz. Good to be with you on this Friday afternoon. Well, the argument is that the White House, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is essentially saying that they did not follow the proper process in terms of notifying the respective parties that needed to know about this ballroom construction. Now, we’ll note that the press secretary and the president himself has said that he has the ability to be able to do this, to make changes at the White House.
Notably, there is a statement coming from the White House. They are saying the president does have the power to do this. The statement reads, “President Trump has full legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House, just like all of his predecessors did.” That statement coming from White House spokesman Davis Ingle.
Now, you can oftentimes hear the construction going on behind me here at the White House. In fact, we just heard what was some drilling or pounding of that sort going on here, building that ballroom. Now, the president has said that this ballroom, the construction is under budget and on time. He has talked about the price tag, whether it’s $200 million, and then it ballooned to some $300 million.
And remember, the president promised that the White House would not be touched. We, of course, know that is not the case because you can see from your screen there that the East Wing of the White House, which is typically the part of the building that guests enter when there is a state dinner or Christmas parties, things like that, that’s the entrance that you use. The first lady’s offices are also—were also, I should say—held there in the East Wing of the White House. That part of the White House building no more, making way for President Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
Now, in this lawsuit, the National Trust for Historic Preservation says that a couple of groups needed to be notified, the National Capital Planning Commission, the Commission on Fine Arts, and Congress prior to demolition taking place—that demolition and that construction taking place. So they’re hoping to stop what is left of this demolition and this construction. But, certainly, the White House maintaining that the president, as expected—we expected them to perhaps say this—has the authority to do this.
And the president himself is named as a defendant in this lawsuit, as well as the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, and the General Services Administration as well, Liz.
– Willie James Inman, thank you so much.