DOJ Urges Preservation Group to Drop White House Ballroom Lawsuit After Dinner Shooting

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 26 urged the National Trust for Historic Preservation to drop its lawsuit seeking to block the construction of the White House ballroom, following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

In a letter posted by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said the shooting incident underscored the need for a White House ballroom to ensure the safety of the president, his family, and administration officials.

Shumate stated that the Washington Hilton, the venue for the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, was “demonstrably unsafe” for events involving the president “because its size presents extraordinary security challenges for the Secret Service.”

“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 stated.

“Put simply, your lawsuit puts the lives of the President, his family and his staff at grave risk.”

The letter states that the government will ask the court to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the case if the group refuses to drop its lawsuit.

A spokesperson for the National Trust for Historic Preservation said on April 26 that the group will review the DOJ’s request with legal counsel.

President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and many members of the Trump administration were evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 25 after a gunman breached a security checkpoint near the ballroom and shot a Secret Service agent. Authorities arrested the suspect, identified as Cole Allen of Torrance, California, at the scene.

Trump said in an April 26 post on Truth Social that the shooting incident underscores the need to construct “a large, safe, and secure Ballroom” on the White House grounds, adding that the lawsuit to block the ballroom construction should be dropped immediately.

“This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough,” he wrote. “Nothing should be allowed to interfere with its construction, which is on budget and substantially ahead of schedule!”

The White House first announced the project in July 2025, saying it would span 90,000 square feet. The construction phase began in September 2025, and the ballroom is expected to be completed before Trump leaves office in early 2029, according to the White House. The National Capital Planning Commission approved the ballroom project on April 2.

In December 2025, the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit alleging that construction of the White House ballroom is unlawful and seeking a court order to halt the project.

On April 16, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon issued a preliminary injunction blocking construction of the ballroom but allowed “below-ground” construction of national security facilities to continue. The order was later temporarily blocked by the appeals court.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.