National Trust for Historic Preservation

08/31/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/31/2026 15:50

Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Decision in National Park Service et al. v. National Trust

"We are deeply disappointed in the Supreme Court's ruling today and respectfully disagree with the majority's opinion on standing. It is noteworthy that the majority did not weigh in on whether the ballroom project was in fact legal.

We are pleased with Chief Justice Robert's strong dissent, which reiterated what we have maintained from the start of our case-that construction of the White House ballroom is unlawful.

In addition, this is not the final decision on the merits of our case and does not resolve our fundamental argument-that each President is a temporary steward of the People's House and does not have the unilateral authority to demolish and redesign it without the approval of Congress.

We anticipate that the government will file an application for a writ of certiorari and look forward to reviewing it. We urge the Supreme Court to expeditiously consider the government's certiorari petition, and we will continue to advocate with our partners on behalf of the American people, the democratic values of our nation, and the preservation of our country's most historically significant places."

National Trust for Historic Preservation published this content on August 31, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 31, 2026 at 21:50 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]