Trump ballroom lawsuit plaintiff rejects DOJ demand to drop case after 'assassination attempt'

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rendering of his proposed ballroom as he meets with Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Oct. 22, 2025. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump 's $400 million White House ballroom project on Monday rejected a demand by the Department of Justice to drop that legal challenge in the wake of a shooting i ncident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner that Trump was evacuated from . "Your assertion that this lawsuit puts the President's life at 'grave risk' is incorrect and irresponsible," wrote Gregory Craig, a lawyer for the plaintiff, The National Trust for Historic Preservation , to DOJ Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. "Simply put, this case does not jeopardize the President's safety in any way," Craig wrote in the new letter, which he provided to CNBC. "And nothing prevents you from asking Congress at any time for the necessary authorization required by the Constitution and federal law." A model of the new White House ballroom to be built sits on a table as U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Oct. 22, 2025. …