⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

We hear oral argument before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has challenged the construction of a large new ballroom and events facility on the White House grounds. The government demolished the East Wing in its entirety and began work on a ninety-thousand-square-foot structure. The Trust sued. A district court at first declined to halt the work, then granted an amended request and enjoined above-ground construction of the ballroom, while permitting below-ground work to continue. The government appeals, and the Trust has filed a cross-appeal. The government argues that the Trust lacks standing. It argues that the Park Service and the President have ample statutory authority to build on what is both the president's residence and a unit of the National Park System. And it argues that the injunction cannot stand. The Trust responds that a federal statute forbids new structures on federal grounds in the capital without express authorization from Congress, and that nothing in the park statutes expressly authorizes demolishing part of a historic landmark for an events facility. At stake are threshold questions about who may sue over changes to a national landmark, and the scope of century-old statutes governing the White House grounds.

National Trust for Historic Preservation v. NPS (No. 26-5123) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, argued June 5, 2026.