The White House starts demolishing part of the East Wing to build Trump’s ballroom
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday started tearing down part of the East Wing, the traditional base of operations for the first lady, to build President Donald Trump’s $250 million ballroom despite lacking approval for construction from the federal agency that oversees such projects.
Dramatic photos of the demolition work showed construction equipment tearing into the East Wing façade and windows and other building parts in tatters on the ground. Some reporters watched from a park near the Treasury Department, which is next to the East Wing.
Trump announced the start of construction in a social media post and referenced the work while hosting 2025 college baseball champs Louisiana State University and LSU-Shreveport in the East Room. He noted the work was happening “right behind us.”
“We have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically,” he said, adding, “It just started today.”
The White House has moved ahead with the massive construction project despite not yet having sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves construction work and major renovations to government buildings in the Washington area.
Its chairman, Will Scharf, who is also the White House staff secretary and one of Trump’s top aides, said at the commission’s September meeting that agency does not have jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation work for buildings on federal property.
“What we deal with is essentially construction, vertical build,” Scharf said last month.
It was unclear whether the White House had submitted the ballroom plans for the agency’s review and approval. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and the commission’s offices are closed because of the government shutdown.
The Republican president had said in July when the project was announced that the ballroom would not interfere with the mansion itself.
“It’ll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” he said of the White House.
The East Wing houses several offices, including those of the first lady. It was built in 1902 and and has been renovated over the years, with a second story added in 1942, according to the White House.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said those East Wing offices will be temporarily relocated during construction and that wing of the building will be modernized and renovated.
“Nothing will be torn down,” Leavitt said when she announced the project in July.
Trump insists that presidents have desired such a ballroom for 150 years and that he’s adding the massive 90,000-square-foot, glass-walled space because the East Room, which is the largest room in the White House with an approximately 200-person capacity, is too small. He also has said he does not like the idea of hosting kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers in pavilions on the South Lawn.
Trump said in the social media announcement that the project would be completed “with zero cost to the American Taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.”
The ballroom will be the biggest structural change to the Executive Mansion since the addition in 1948 of the Truman Balcony overlooking the South Lawn, even dwarfing the residence itself.
At a dinner he hosted last week for some of the wealthy business executives who are donating money toward the $250 million construction cost, Trump said the project had grown in size and now will accommodate 999 people. The capacity was 650 seated people at the July announcement.
The White House has said it will disclose information on who has contributed money to build the ballroom, but has yet to do so.
Trump also said at last week’s event that the head of Carrier Global Corp., a leading manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, had offered to donate the air conditioning system for the ballroom.
Carrier confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that it had done so. A cost estimate was not immediately available.
“Carrier is honored to provide the new iconic ballroom at the White House with a world-class, energy-efficient HVAC system, bringing comfort to distinguished guests and dignitaries in this historic setting for years to come,” the company said in an emailed statement.
The clearing of trees on the south grounds and other site preparation work for the construction started in September. Plans call for the ballroom to be ready before Trump’s term ends in January 2029. ChristopherBlackwell
'A leading historic preservation group has called on the Trump administration to halt the bulldozers tearing down the White House’s East Wing to make way for a massive ballroom.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit created by Congress to help preserve historic buildings, said Tuesday that the 90,000-square-foot, $250 million event space would “overwhelm the White House itself,” which is about 55,000 square feet.'
The Trump Regime talks about limited demolition..
'..But The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the demolition work had “advanced Tuesday with the destruction of much of the East Wing.”
The newspaper said “a large part of the structure remained,” but it appeared that “what remained was also headed for demolition” as there was no evidence that the exposed parts of the building were being protected.'
Stand by for more unrest..
RESIST!
NYTimes reporting the ENTIRE East Wing to be destroyed.
"White House demolition: President Trump’s plan to add an expansive ballroom to the White House will mean the demolition of the entire East Wing, which was expected to be fully torn down by this weekend, according to a senior administration official. Mr. Trump had pledged that the East Wing would not be touched by the construction, one of the largest renovations to the building in decades even before the change in plans." - NY Times
I call for Trump to be removed from office by any means necessary . RESIST!
Not since the British burned it in 1812 has so much damage been done to it. Furthermore this is a registered historic landmark, and any alteration must be approved. Even minor alterations like what is hung inside on walls is supposed to be a group discussion with intent to preserve the historic place.
This man doesn't just deserve impeachment and removal. At this point he is self treasonous to the extent he should be tried and EXECUTED.
Every executive order he made should be reversed, and judicial appointments reviewsd including the SCOTUS.
Fred Trump said "May God help America." This is exactly what he meant. At this point only God can help, because Congress sure as hell won't, and I think the turtle pace of the courts and judiciary are ignored because the felon figured out he can, and get away with it.
Try and execute each and every one. Seize their assets and restore the White House to original condition. Amend the Constitution so this can never happen again.
You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony
What he is doing to the White House, he is doing to America.
The SCOTUS ruling on pres immunity, and MAGA electing him for a second term of retribution and demolition of American democracy, wiftly destroyed the America we knew and loved.
What shifted to cause the media to lie?
Locally our No Kings protest was reported to have been attended by thousands. Well I did the math, making sectors using known lengths of construction fence to measure person density in the column, and in America the Beautiful Park, multiplied by known length of the route. 98,720 people. More or less. This is no ass grab estimation. It is a MEASUREMENT!
So people who didn't attend, and only saw the news have no idea the real size of the crowd.
Visible on You Tube now is only the corporate media news footage. My video was going viral in the first few hours of posting. Then the bottom fell out as it was replaced by the corporate news. You Tube has become their tool? Rather than a voice of the people, for which it was origianlly intended?
The lies are much deeper than the felon. He isn't the only celeb telling them. America as a whole is a crumbling house of lies, of which the felon is just the lead example.
You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony
It's a long-term strategy of the far Right, a strategy of Putin, a Republican strategy (I do not vote for or support Repubs EVER, anymore), a corporate strategy.
Twump is their chief and most useful idiot. RESIST!
I am greatly disturbed by his blatant disregard for not only rules and regulations but for history
He authorizes himself. He is answerable to no earthly authority, and he doesn'r really believe in God. He uses God as a weapon and tool to get what he wants.
He isn't leaving a mark on America. He's leaving a blemish, a stain of blood, and a very large shitstain. You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony
on October 21, 2025, 4:32 pm
