James McCrery

Architect; Member, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts; former lead architect of White House ballroom project

Appears in 1 story

Born: September 18, 1949, Shreveport

Party: Republican Party

Education: Louisiana Tech University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Leesville High School

Previous offices: United States representative, city attorney

Last updated Nov 2, 2026

Stories

The White House ballroom rush hits court: preservationists ask judge to freeze Trump’s build

Built World

As of May 2026: Appointed to CFA on January 16, 2026 to review the project he originally designed

At a January 22 hearing on the National Trust's preliminary injunction request, Judge Richard Leon signaled deep skepticism about Trump's authority to tear down "an icon that's a national institution" using $400 million in private donations. Leon called the funding mechanism a "Rube Goldberg contraption" and is expected to rule in February; Trump declared on Truth Social that "IT IS TOO LATE" to stop the project, claiming structural steel, marble, and bulletproof glass are already lined up.

Updated May 15