Preservationists Move to Stop Trump from Testing New Paint on Iconic 1800s Landmark He Called ‘Ugly’ (Exclusive)
Preservationists Move to Stop Trump from Testing New Paint on Iconic 1800s Landmark He Called ‘Ugly’ (Exclusive)
Angelique BrenesThu, July 30, 2026 at 4:32 AM UTC
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Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building; Donald TrumpCredit: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty -
Preservationists are seeking an emergency injunction to stop the Trump administration from testing paint on the historic Eisenhower Executive Office Building
The proposed testing is part of Donald Trump’s plan to paint the National Historic Landmark white as part of a broader renovation effort
“This is a terrible idea,” preservation attorney Greg Werkheiser said as opponents argue the project could permanently damage the iconic building
Preservationists are taking their fight against Donald Trump’s proposed makeover of one of Washington, D.C.’s most recognizable buildings back to court.
Groups challenging Trump’s plan to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) plan to file a renewed motion for a preliminary injunction on Thursday, July 30. They are asking a federal court to halt paint testing that could begin as early as Aug. 3 while the legality of the project is resolved, Cultural Heritage Partners said in a statement shared exclusively with PEOPLE ahead of the filing.
Cultural Heritage Partners said the planned motion comes after the White House announced its intention to begin a paint feasibility study on portions of the landmark. The group also said the administration had previously assured the court that no such work would move forward before complying with federal historic preservation and environmental laws.
The motion argues that the proposed testing goes beyond determining whether paint could be applied to the building and is instead a step toward carrying out the broader project. They allege the project was improperly transferred from the General Services Administration to the White House Office of Administration in an effort to “bypass the public review process” required under federal preservation and environmental laws, according to Cultural Heritage Partners.
The Dwight Eisenhower Executive Office Building is seen on August 18, 2024, in Washington, DC.Credit: J. David Ake/Getty
“The issue has never been whether the building should be studied. The issue is whether the White House can conduct that testing—and ultimately alter one of America’s most important historic buildings—without following the process Congress established to protect historic places and ensure the public has a voice,” the planned filing states, per Cultural Heritage Partners.
The organization also alleges the White House has not disclosed who would conduct the proposed testing, among other details of the plan.
“Is it the same people who brought us the peeling paint of the granite Reflecting Pool? Or the surprise demolition of the East Wing? Or the dumping of hazardous debris from that demolition on a public DC golf course? The American people deserve the transparency required by law,” Greg Werkheiser, founding partner of Cultural Heritage Partners, says in a statement shared exclusively with PEOPLE.
Werkheiser adds that the group believes the case could have implications beyond the EEOB and how the federal government handles historic properties.
“If the government can simply transfer projects into the Executive Office of the President whenever it wants to avoid the laws that apply to every other federal agency, the implications reach far beyond the EEOB. No historic site in the nation will be safe from a President’s personal whims,” Werkheiser says. “This case is about preserving the rule of law as much as preserving a National Historic Landmark.”
The latest legal challenge is part of a broader effort to stop Trump’s plan to paint the EEOB white. He first unveiled the proposal in November 2025 as part of what he described as an effort to “beautify” the historic building.
Completed in 1888, the EEOB is a National Historic Landmark next to the White House. It has a granite exterior, slate roof, and decorative cast-iron trim, and houses about 1,500 employees working for the Executive Offices of the President and Vice President, according to Cultural Heritage Partners.
Preservation experts have warned that applying a mineral silicate coating to the building’s historic granite would require damaging preparation, weaken the stone and result in ongoing maintenance costs, according to the statement.
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The law firm and the DC Preservation League filed a lawsuit in federal court two days after Trump announced the plan, saying the administration violated federal preservation and environmental laws. The Justice Department moved to dismiss the case, and the plaintiffs later filed an amended complaint after the court allowed it, according to Cultural Heritage Partners.
President Donald Trump during an announcement in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DCCredit: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Cultural Heritage Partners, firm founders Greg Werkheiser and Marion Werkheiser, and the DC Preservation League, according to the statement.
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich is overseeing the case.
Trump has long defended the proposal, arguing a fresh coat of paint would improve the appearance of the historic building.
During an appearance on The Ingraham Angle in November 2025, Trump displayed a rendering of the proposed renovation.
“You know it was always considered an ugly building, and it’s actually one of the most beautiful buildings ever built,” Trump said.
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When host Laura Ingraham responded, “I kind of like it,” Trump pointed to the rendering and replied, “Look at that, how beautiful that is with a coat of paint. It’s all painting. Most of it’s painting. It’s cleaning and pointing and painting. It needs other work. Look at that, how beautiful that is.”
After Ingraham suggested the rendering looked “like a big white blob,” Trump disagreed.
“No, no, what it does is it brings out all the detail,” he said.
Trump also took issue with the building’s gray exterior. “Gray is for funerals,” he said.
on People
Source: “AOL Breaking”
