In a letter shared by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on X, a top lawyer with the Justice Department is urging the National Trust for Historic Preservation to end its lawsuit challenging President Trump’s construction of a new ballroom at the White House.
The letter from Brett Shumate to Greg Craig, who is representing the preservation group, said the attack outside the press gala underscores the need for the White House ballroom.
“When the White House ballroom is complete, President Trump and his successors will no longer need to venture beyond the safety of the White House perimeter to attend large gatherings at the Washington Hilton ballroom,” Shumate wrote. “The White House ballroom will ensure the safety and security of the President for decades to come and prevent future assassination attempts on the President at the Washington Hilton.”
The Justice Department lawyer claimed that the lawsuit seeking to halt construction at the White House puts the president in danger.
“Put simply, your lawsuit puts the lives of the President, his family, and his staff at grave risk,” Shumate wrote. “I hope yesterday’s narrow miss will help you finally realize the folly of a lawsuit that literally serves no purpose except to stop President Trump no matter the cost. Enough is enough.”
Shumate urged the National Trust for Historic Preservation to voluntarily dismiss what he called a “frivolous” lawsuit in light of the shooting. He warned that if the group does not do so, the government would seek to dissolve an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon and have the case tossed out, given Saturday’s “extraordinary events.”
Leon, who is presiding over the case, temporarily blocked construction of the 90,000 square foot ballroom in March. Then, in an order earlier this month, he clarified that construction of national-security facilities that would be located underneath the ballroom could continue. Any “above-ground construction strictly necessary to cover, secure and protect” those facilities could also proceed, he said.
The Justice Department has appealed that decision. The White House ballroom is expected to seat roughly 1,000 guests. More than 2,500 people were in attendance at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
