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

The Justice Department said the lawsuit puts the lives of the president and his family at risk.

President Donald Trump speaks, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, shortly after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, on April 25, 2026. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

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.