On July 31, 2026, preservationists filed a motion in federal court requesting a judge to block the Trump administration from painting the historic Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. The group, Cultural Heritage Partners, has asked U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich for a preliminary injunction to stop the administration from testing white paint samples on the building. The motion argues that the White House may have improperly taken control of the project from the General Services Administration, which is responsible for overseeing the building.
The filing states, "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 lawsuit includes plaintiffs from Cultural Heritage Partners, its founders Greg Werkheiser and Marion Werkheiser, and the DC Preservation League. The Trump administration has stated that the building's granite structure has been weakened by grime, including soot and bird droppings accumulated over 20 years, and that painting is necessary for preservation. However, the preservationists have not identified a paint that would not damage the building.
On July 20, the Trump administration announced plans to test a small area of the building with white mineral silicate paint and to cut out sections of stone for off-site analysis, with work potentially starting by August 1, 2026, unless halted by the court. The Washington Examiner has reached out to the White House for comment.