Trump Officials Sued for Plan to Repaint Eisenhower Building (1)

President Donald Trump’s plan to clean, repoint, and repaint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House would violate several laws and must be stopped, a lawsuit says.

Painting the building’s gray stone facade white, without complying with the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act, would cause permanent harm to the National Historic Landmark, Cultural Heritage Partners PLLC and other preservationists told the US District Court for the District of Columbia in a Nov. 14 complaint.

The US Department of Justice didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The US General Services Administration “does not comment on ongoing litigation,” a spokesperson said.

The suit comes shortly after Trump ordered the demolition of a substantial portion of the White House’s East Wing to make way for a $300 million ballroom. That demolition occurred without public notice, and before a proper environmental assessment took place, the complaint says.

Cultural Heritage, a law firm committed to protecting historic places, says the building is in the National Register of Historic Places and serves as the anchor of the National Historic Landmark historic district near the White House.

On or about Nov. 10, the suit says, Trump stated during an interview that he planned to paint the building white and that it needed cleaning and pointing, as well.

But this plan, if it advanced, would run afoul of NEPA, which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental consequences of proposed actions before making decisions that will affect the environment, the complaint says.

Federal officials haven’t prepared the required documentation showing consideration of the project’s effects on the human environment, the suit says, including the effects on historic properties.

“Painting a historic building whose masonry has historically been left unpainted can trap moisture within the wall system, accelerate deterioration, and cause masonry to crack or spall, permanently altering or obscuring original materials that were never meant to be coated,” the complaint says.

The plan would violate the NHPA, which requires federal agencies to consider how a project would affect a historic property, the complaint says. Federal agencies haven’t documented their consideration of potential effects on the building, such as visual effects.

The agencies’ failure to initiate and complete legally required environmental and historic review processes before advancing the repainting plan also allegedly violates the Administrative Procedure Act, the preservationists claim. Agencies are subject to clear procedural and substantive constraints that they can’t disregard because of a president’s personal preferences, their complaint says.

The complaint seeks declarative and injunctive relief, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs.

Cultural Heritage Partners PLLC represents the plaintiffs.

The case is Cultural Heritage Partners PLLC v. Trump, D.D.C., No. 25-cv-3969, complaint 11/14/25.