National Trust for Historic Preservation sues to try to stop White House ballroom construction
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(WASHINGTON) — The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the privately funded nonprofit designated by Congress to protect historic sites, is suing in an attempt to stop the construction of the White House ballroom.
In a complaint filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for DC, the organization is asking for the project to be stopped until it completes the federal review process standard for federal building projects and seeks public comment on the proposed changes.
“No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever—not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else,” the complaint said. “And no president is legally allowed to construct a ballroom on public property without giving the public the opportunity to weigh in.”
“President Trump’s efforts to do so should be immediately halted, and work on the Ballroom Project should be paused until the Defendants complete the required reviews—reviews that should have taken place before the Defendants demolished the East Wing, and before they began construction of the Ballroom—and secure the necessary approvals,” the complaint continued.
In its complaint, the Trust argues that the project has not been filed with the National Capital Planning Commission as required by law; that it began without an environmental assessment or impact statement as required by the National Environmental Policy Act; and that the construction was not authorized by Congress.
The White House has continued to defend the construction of the ballroom.
“President Trump has full legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House — just like all of his predecessors did,” Davis Ingle, a White House spokesperson, said on Friday.
The White House has previously attacked the Trust, saying it is run by “a bunch of loser Democrats and liberal donors who are playing political games.”
It has also argued that the nature of the project on the White House grounds does not require congressional approval, an assertion the Trust is challenging in its lawsuit.
News of the lawsuit was first reported by the Washington Post.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner (3rd L) and US special envoy Steve Witkoff (3rd R) for talks at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany on December 14, 2025. (Photo by Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. administration officials signaled Monday a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine may be closer than ever.
“We believe that we probably solved … 90%, literally 90% of the issues between Ukraine and Russia, but there’s some more things that have to be worked out,” a U.S. official said during a phone call briefing with reporters.
U.S. officials spoke with reporters under the condition of anonymity on the robust discussions held in Berlin between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and businessman Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the U.S.-authored peace plan.
A potential peace deal brokered over the weekend between U.S. officials and European allies include NATO Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine backed by robust security protocols, efforts to rebuild and reconstruct Ukraine following years of war, and deterrence efforts and punishments for any further Russian incursions, according to the U.S. officials.
Russia has indicated it’s open to Ukraine joining the European Union, the officials added.
The details were agreed to on a “working level” basis during discussions between NATO, Ukraine and the U.S. in Berlin, but final sign off from principals in Washington, Ukraine and Russia is still necessary, the officials said.
The officials indicated that Russia is likely to “accept all these things,” but more discussions are still required.
“We believe the Russians, in a final deal, will accept all these things which will allow for a strong and free Ukraine,” the official said.
U.S. officials said that peace talks that occurred in Berlin on Sunday and Monday with Ukraine were “really, really positive” following nearly eight hours of negotiations behind closed doors.
The officials said that consensus was reached on several issues and they hit on every detail in the revised 20-point peace plan.
“We’ve got consensus on a number of issues that we view as critical to getting to a peace deal. We have some things to discuss as well, but we’ve touched everything in the 20-point plan and had some very, very positive discussion around it,” the U.S. official said.
Two briefings have been given to Trump and he is pleased where things currently stand, according to the U.S. officials.
But despite the U.S. officials providing a more merrier readout of the progress, in his readout, Zelenskyy said that discussions with the U.S. “were not simple but productive.”
Security guarantees for Ukraine
On the security guarantees, the U.S. officials said details were still forthcoming but said U.S. boots on the ground in Ukraine were not a part of the discussions.
The officials added that the U.S. Senate would likely have to sign off on the NATO Article 5-like guarantees so that the agreement is legally binding, and “President Trump is willing to do that” — signaling a major commitment to protect Ukraine from further Russian attacks.
“This NATO-like Article 5 guarantee is something that President Trump believes he can get Russia to accept,” the U.S. official said. Ukraine is likely not going to push to join NATO, which the official added is a “critical element” in getting Russia’s sign off.
Any potential violations of the security guarantees will be addressed in the final package, the official said.
“Anything that we felt needed to be addressed to make the Ukrainian people feel safe is included in this package,” the official added.
Territory discussions continue
On territory discussions, the official said “we’ve moved considerably closer in narrowing the issues between Ukrainians and the Russians.”
Without going into further details, the officials said that Zelenskyy will be discussing the issue of territories with members of his team.
“We’ve given him some what I’ll call thought-provoking ideas. He’s got to get back to us,” one official said. “We have an obligation at some point after he gets back to us, to speak to the Russians about it, and our European partners. And you can hear that we feel really good about the progress that we’ve made, including on territories,” the official added.
Zelenskyy told reporters on Monday that he saw progress being made on security issues, but the issue of territories “is a painful one, because Russia wants what it wants, and we can’t go any further.”
“We clearly understand what they want. Some may believe it, others may not, but we know with one hundred percent certainty what they want,” he said.
Ukraine rebuilding and reconstruction
On reconstruction efforts, one of the officials said that there is a plan being put together on how to bring people back to Ukraine while also creating a “transparent government.” The official added asset managerBlack Rock and the World Bank have been working together to pull best practices from different countries and that the Europeans seem to indicate that there would be strong financial support for this.
One of the officials said on the call that the U.S. is close to having Russia and Ukraine agree to a 50-50 split of the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Officials on the call said that Russia was open to Ukraine joining the European Union, calling it the biggest expansion of the Euro free-zone since the Berlin Wall.
The officials also shared that it is their hope that the framework of this agreement will allow for Europe and Russia to have a “prosperous future.”
“We’ve seen, over time, there’s no such thing as permanent allies or permanent enemies. And maybe if we create the right framework in this agreement, then there could be a new pathway forward, where Europe and Russia can finally have an arrangement and understanding that can lead to a more peaceful and prosperous future for everyone,” the official said.
Next steps
Kushner and Witkoff are expected to dine Monday night with European leaders and Zelenskyy and will conduct further peace discussions, the officials said, noting that Trump may join discussions.
“I think President Trump will be calling in to address the leaders, which is, you know, a pretty wonderful thing, and a testament to how much attention he’s paying to this particular conflict,” the official said.
More meetings next weekend in the U.S. are possible — likely in Miami, the official added.
“We are under instructions to do what it takes to help facilitate, on behalf of President Trump, a lasting and durable peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and we intend to do our best if needed — absolutely,” the official said.
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark joined by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks a press conference at the U.S. Capitol, February 4, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — House Minority Whip Katherine Clark told ABC News she will not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, making her the highest-ranking House Democrat to skip the event.
“And let me tell you why,” Clark told ABC’s Linsey Davis in an exclusive interview. “What we have seen from this president is a series of lies, of disrespect for the American people. He campaigned that he would lower costs on Day 1, he would keep people safe and secure. And he has done just the opposite.”
“So, I’m going to spend my evening, while he is spewing his misinformation tonight, talking to my constituents about their state of the union and how this administration is impacting them,” Clark said.
Dozens of Democrats, at least 45, are set to skip the State of the Union address. Many instead are opting to take part in a counter-program on the National Mall sponsored by the progressive group MoveOn.
House Speaker Mike Johnson earlier Tuesday criticized Democrats who will be absent, saying it was “shameful that they would boycott an address.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has made the case for members of his caucus to attend without outbursts or to sit it out altogether.
“It’s our expectation that there will be some members who attend and attend in silent defiance, and there will be other members who will choose not to attend. And it’s up to every individual member to make the decision that makes the most sense for their constituents,” Jeffries told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
Notable guests of Democratic lawmakers include survivors of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the business owner who successfully challenged Trump’s global tariffs and individuals affected by the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response following Trump’s remarks. The two main themes she will focus on are affordability and the chaos the Trump administration has caused at home and abroad, according to Spanberger’s team.
Poll workers place a sign outside a polling station for the New Jersey Primary at a firehouse in Hoboken, N.J., June 4, 2024. (Gary Hershorn/ABC News)
(WASHINGTON) — Amid President Donald Trump’s repeated unsubstantiated accusations of rigged voting and calls to nationalize elections, an updated version of the GOP’s signature piece of election reform — now called the SAVE America Act — is set to reach the House floor for a showdown vote later Wednesday.
The original, called the SAVE Act, was sponsored by Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, passed out of the House in April, but has stalled in the Senate since — attracting intense pushback from Democrats, who say the bill would damage voting accessibility and discriminate against low-income voters who are unable to get government ID.
Trump and top Republicans have argued the revised bill is necessary to protect the country’s election process before the 2026 midterm elections in November.
“America’s Elections are Rigged, Stolen, and a Laughingstock all over the World,” Trump wrote on social media. “We are either going to fix them, or we won’t have a Country any longer. I am asking all Republicans to fight for the following: SAVE AMERICA ACT!”
There has been no credible evidence of widespread fraud or substantiated claims of U.S. elections being rigged.
What is the SAVE America Act?
Republican lawmakers tout the SAVE America Act as the next step in securing what they call “election integrity.” The bill would restrict mail-in ballots, require photo ID at polling places and mandate states obtain proof of citizenship before registering a person to vote in a federal election.
Citizenship documents include:
A valid United States passport
A Real ID
A birth certificate
United States military ID card, together with a record of service showing that the applicant’s place of birth was in the United States
Federal, state or tribal government ID card showing the applicants place of birth
A driver’s license without a Real ID stamp would not be accepted as proof of citizenship.
This process would include mail voter registration applications, requiring people to provide documented proof to an appropriate election official before being approved.
The bill would also require states to scrub noncitizens from their current voter records and create programs to identify individuals who are not U.S. citizens by using data from various state agencies, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
On Election Day, voters would be expected to bring a valid photo ID which they would be required to present before getting access to the ballot box. If an ID does not have a photo, a voter would have to prove U.S. citizenship or provide the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number.
Along with ID requirements, Trump has called for restrictions on voting by mail, disallowing mail-in voting except for instances of illness, disability, military or travel.
Several high-ranking Republican leaders allege the bill would stop instances of noncitizens voting in elections, an issue they argue has damaged the credibility of election results.
Noncitizens are already prohibited from voting in federal and state elections, though some cities allow noncitizens to vote on some local elections.
“A number of states deliberately don’t want to check whether or not somebody’s here legally when they register, and then they mandate in some states that they can’t show picture ID. That’s a recipe for voter fraud,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said during an interview on Fox News. “…one person, one vote only matters if you’re having these protections like the SAVE America Act.”
Experts have long insisted that noncitizen voting is a rare problem. Voter roll audits before the 2024 elections in Georgia found only 20 registered noncitizens out of 8.2 million registered voters statewide. Nine of those actually cast a ballot.
The president has suggested noncitizen voting has allowed Democrats to win elections when they otherwise shouldn’t have, including unfounded claims that Joe Biden did not win the 2020 election.
“We need fair elections. We need elections where people aren’t able to cheat. And we’re going to do that, I’m going to do that, I’m going to get it done,” Trump said.
Why the controversy?
Implementing voter ID is not a novel idea in the United States. The National Conference of State Legislatures tracks 36 states that require voters to show some sort of identification at the polls.
Sentiment over voter ID is also recorded as mostly positive, with a Pew Research Center poll citing 83% of the 3,554 Americans surveyed as in favor of requiring all voters to show government issued photo IDs before voting.
In that same survey, 58% of respondents said they were in favor of maintaining mail-in voting.
Still, key Democrats on Capitol Hill have been strongly opposed to the bill, arguing it makes voting more difficult and less accessible.
“Our elections are key to our democracy. The SAVE Act would make it harder for registered, legal voters to vote,” California Democrat Rep. Mike Thomson said. “At a time when the president is talking about nationalizing elections, we must protect our democracy and every voter’s choice.”
Though the bill made it through the House with a 220-208 vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the bill would be “dead on arrival” in the Senate.
“The Republicans’ SAVE Act reads more like a how-to guide for voter suppression. It goes against the very foundations of our democracy,” Schumer said. “Mark my words: This will not pass the Senate.”
Others, such as Democrat Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), argue Republicans are deliberately timing the change in voter rules before consequential midterm elections.
“Republicans will stop at nothing to interfere with the 2026 midterms — including leveraging ICE to gain access to sensitive voter information or pass their anti-democratic SAVE Act,” Padilla said. “We’re not going to let them get away with their attempts to suppress the right to vote.”
In the Senate, the bill would need to garner support from some Democrats in order to overcome a 60-vote threshold to advance over an expected Democratic filibuster.
