Group says it won't drop its White House ballroom lawsuit, despite DOJ pressure

White HouseGroup says it won't drop its White House ballroom lawsuit, despite DOJ pressureThe National Trust for Historic Preservation said in a statement that the lawsuit "endangers no one and which respectfully asks the Administration to follow the law."Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleTrump renews calls for new White House ballroom after shooting01:05Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 27, 2026, 1:40 PM EDTBy Megan Lebowitz and Peter NicholasThe National Trust for Historic Preservation said Monday that it will not drop its lawsuit to halt construction of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom, despite the Justice Department's request. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content."We are not planning to voluntarily dismiss our lawsuit, which endangers no one and which respectfully asks the Administration to follow the law," said a statement from Carol Quillen, the head of the trust. The trust's statement comes one day after the Justice Department wrote a letter urging the group to drop the suit, arguing that the "lawsuit puts the lives of the President, his family, and his staff at grave risk." Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, spoke about the ballroom project in her press briefing on Monday, making the case that it needs to be completed."The White House ballroom project is not just a fun project for President Trump like you will read in the media," Leavitt said. "It is actually critical for our national security that a larger, secure building on this complex — which is the most secure complex in the world — is built to accommodate not only large amounts of guests, but also the president, the vice president, members of the Cabinet.""The line of succession in this country should be able to gather freely and safely without the fear of threats or political violence and the White House ballroom will provide that," she c...