Judge Allows 14-Day Testing on Trump's White Paint Plan for 1888 Eisenhower Building
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 18
Judge Allows 14-Day Testing on Trump's White Paint Plan for 1888 Eisenhower Building
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 18
Summary
Judge Dabney L. Friedrich let the Trump administration begin limited, “minimally invasive” tests tied to its plan to paint the Eisenhower Executive Building white, rejecting preservationists’ emergency bid to halt the initial study.
The ruling turned on the administration’s narrower description of immediate work—testing how paint would affect the granite facade and making preliminary preparations—rather than starting the full paint job Trump has publicly sought.
Friedrich warned she would step in if officials moved toward painting the entire building before unresolved legal issues are decided, and ordered both sides to update the court within 14 days on the testing’s scope.
Those unresolved questions include whether the General Services Administration can hand maintenance authority to the White House and whether the project can proceed without environmental and architectural reviews sought by the plaintiffs.
The fight centers on an 1888 French Second Empire landmark next to the White House, part of Trump’s broader push to reshape prominent Washington buildings he has criticized as unattractive.