Historic Preservation Groups Sue Trump Over Renovations

A group of historic preservationists is suing President Donald Trump over his plans to paint a Washington, D.C. building. What are the president's plans, and why is this group objecting? Read on for all of the details of the latest controversy brewing in the nation's capital.

Historic Preservation Group Suing Trump Over Proposed Renovations

The D.C. Preservation League and Cultural Heritage Partners filed a lawsuit on Friday, requesting that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia step in and stop Trump and other federal officials from making changes to the ornate Eisenhower Executive Building without going through a review process.

The controversy started last week when the president told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that he was planning on painting the Eisenhower building a bright white color. The Gilded Age building currently features a gray granite exterior. Although the president was just floating the idea, he told Ingraham that he was looking at costs and getting bids from painters.

The proposal to change the exterior of the building is another plan by Trump to impose his personal aesthetic tastes across federal structures and grounds. Past projects include the controversial decision to pave over the iconic White House Rose Garden to make a patio.

The president then created a stir across the country earlier this fall when he demolished the East Wing of the White House to make way for a large ballroom. Trump also recently ordered the Kennedy Center to paint its golden pillars white. Most recently, Trump began pushing the idea to construct what he called the "Arc de Trump," a triumphal arch that he wants built to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.

The lawsuit argues that Trump cannot go forward with plans to paint the Eisenhower building without first going through the environmental and historical preservation review process dictated by federal law. The plaintiff is arguing that skirting the review process could cause irreparable damage to the historic building. For example, the suit alleges that painting granite can trap moisture within the walls and lead to deterioration.

Greg Werkheiser, founding partner of Cultural Heritage Partners, said that a white Eisenhower building would look like "a giant marshmallow." However, he said that the lawsuit is not about the president's taste. Instead, the suit simply aims to ask the trump administration to comply wth the law.

About the Eisenhower Building

The Eisenhower building was originally completed in 1888, first serving as the home of the State, War, and Navy departments. The building now serves as an office space for several presidential staff members. This includes the Office of the Vice President, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the National Security Council (NSC). Its proximity to the White House is an easy walk to the Oval Office, making it a common spot for employees who meet regularly with the president.

The building houses 553 ornately decorated rooms, towering stained glass rotundas, bronze stair balusters, carved wooden figures, and other intricately detailed pieces that speak to the country's rich history. The structure took 17 years to build. Critics of the building say that its distinctive French Second Empire style was out of favor before it even opened. Author Mark Twain once said that the structure was “the ugliest building in America.” Former President Harry Truman famously called the building a "monstrosity."

Werkheiser’s group is requesting a preliminary injunction. However, the group also said that it will ask for a restraining order to ban Trump from ordering changes to the building until the case is formally evaluated by the court. Werkheiser confirmed that his team will argue that the Constitution explicitly states that "the president is obligated to take care, to follow the laws." He pointed to the situation with the East Wing demolition as a reason to put the president on notice about the importance of following due process.

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