National Trust vs. Trump: Security vs. Preservation

0:00It's April 27th. From coast to coast, this is US News Today, powered by AI on Cori with the story. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is not backing down from its lawsuit against President Trump's plan to build a big ballroom in the White House. They fouled it back in December, right after the East Wing got demolished, to make room for a space that holds 9C9 people. The Justice Department wants them to drop it now, especially after shots fired at the White House correspondent's dinner on Saturday. Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche sent a letter Sunday claiming the lawsuit risks the president's life and his team's safety. He called her pointless, especially after what he described as a close call at the dinner, attended by Trump, Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker, Mike Johnson, and key cabinet members like Secretary Marco Rubio, Scott Besan, and Pete Hexeth, all in the line of succession. The trust fired back, saying their case hurts no one, and just asked the administration to follow preservation laws.

1:02Trump and conservatives are doubling down on the ballroom idea, pointing to the dinner shooting as proof that securing big events outside the White House is too risky. Trump says private donations cover the ballroom, though public funds are going toward a new underground bunker and security upgrades. The government has warned that if the trust is not dismissed voluntarily, they will push to end any injunction and close the case. This standoff shows how security fears are clashing with historic protection efforts, and it looks like the fight over the White House's future is just heating up.