Embattled National Trust for Historic Preservation Has A New President
3June 23, 2026
The currently highly put-upon National Trust for Historic Preservation nonprofit unanimously elected a new president, the organization announced on Monday. Brent Leggs, formerly the executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, will become the National Trust’s eleventh president since its founding in 1949. Leggs is also joining the institution at a pivotal moment in its history as it battles relentlessly against various interventions from the Trump administration.
Last December, the National Trust sued the current administration for allegedly violating federal construction guidelines in its attempt to build a ballroom in theWhite House’s former East Wing. Trump’sunwieldy plansfor the ballroom addition have baffled critics since their introduction. In April, the National Trustdeclined a requestfrom the DOJ to drop the lawsuit.
In March, the Trust also joined a coalition of cultural organizations in a lawsuit seeking to require Trump to follow historic preservation laws before making alterations to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. On June 13, the Kennedy Center said it removed Trump’s name from its facade after first adding the moniker to the building in December; however, tarps have remained in place that have prompted some to question whether the removal process is complete.
The National Trust, known for its annual list of most endangered historical sites in the US, has also raised concerns about a proposed monumental arch at Memorial Circle on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The “Triumphal Arch,” proposed by Trump in 2025, would be 250 feet tall and would, per a statement from the National Trust, “dwarf the Lincoln Memorial and disrupt the long, open, and uninterrupted viewsheds, overwhelming the entry to Arlington National Cemetery.” Recent reports on federal records have also revealed that a company owned by a Trump donor was offered a $1.7 million contract to overhaul the water cleaning system for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
“As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, the responsibility to preserve our historic sites is even more important,” Leggs said in a statement. “I am deeply honored to help protect and uplift the legacies of all communities, ensuring the sacrifices and contributions of those who came before us are never forgotten.”
Leggs continued, “The National Trust is going to keep building, keep expanding, and making sure everyone can experience the full depth of the American story through tangible connections to historic places.”