White House East Wing demolition begins as Donald Trump builds first ever presidential ballroom

The White House ballroom construction is expected to be completed before the end of President Trump’s second term, in January 2029/ Image: X

Construction has officially begun on President Donald J. Trump’s long-anticipated White House ballroom, a sprawling $250 million project that marks one of the most ambitious structural changes to the presidential residence in over a century. The move, confirmed through a statement posted by the White House on Truth Social, coincides with visible demolition activity on parts of the East Wing, where excavators and construction crews have been working since Monday.

For the first time in the history of the White House, a permanent ballroom is being constructed on the grounds, a dream Trump said had been shared by every U.S. president for more than 150 years. “I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,” the president announced in a post shared on Truth Social and reposted by the official White House account. “Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete! For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway, 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. This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!” The ballroom, spanning approximately 90,000 square feet (8,300 square meters), is being built over the area that currently houses the East Wing. Renderings released by the White House depict a vast, neoclassical-style interior with gold and crystal chandeliers, gilded Corinthian columns, a coffered ceiling with gold inlays, marble floors, and three walls of arched windows overlooking the South Grounds.

A model is seen as President Donald Trump addresses a dinner for donors who have contributed to build the new ballroom at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Demolition began on October 20, 2025, when construction crews and excavators were seen tearing down sections of the East Wing façade, including parts of the roof, entryway, and windows. Photos obtained by multiple outlets, including The Washington Post and CNN, showed visible demolition activity and portions of the structure’s interior being removed. The East Wing, which was constructed in 1902 and last modified in 1942 during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, has long served as the location of the First Lady’s offices. Under Trump’s modernization plan, this wing will be “fully modernized” as part of the ballroom development. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the state ballroom will accommodate up to 650 seated guests, more than triple the capacity of the current East Room, which has historically been the largest event space in the White House. At a ceremony honoring Louisiana State University’s NCAA baseball champions in the East Room earlier Monday, Trump spoke about the construction:“You know, we’re building right behind us, we’re building a ballroom. They wanted a ballroom for 150 years, and I’m giving that honor to this wonderful place,” he said. “I didn’t know I’d be standing here right now, because right on the other side, you have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically.”

The president has emphasized that the ballroom’s construction will come at “zero cost to the American taxpayer,” financed entirely by private donors, major U.S. corporations, and Trump himself. During a recent White House donor dinner attended by representatives from Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft, Palantir, and Lockheed Martin, Trump unveiled further design plans and confirmed that the new venue will feature bulletproof glass, a 1,000-person capacity, and the ability to host a future presidential inauguration. He assured guests that the structure would align with the mansion’s historic architecture:“It will be in keeping with the White House architecture,” Trump said. “It will be appropriate in color and in window shape. There won’t be anything like it actually. … You know, a new thing is you build a super modern building next to an old-fashioned building, and I think that’s good, but I don’t have the courage to do that with the White House.”? When asked about regulatory procedures, Trump recalled:“I said, ‘How long will it take me?’ ‘Sir, you can start tonight, you have no approvals.’ I said, ‘You gotta be kidding.’ They said, ‘Sir, this is the White House, you’re the president of the United States, you can do anything you want.’” The ballroom project, estimated between $200 million and $250 million, is expected to be completed before the end of Trump’s second term in January 2029.

Architecture, heritage, and reaction

The White House stated that the ballroom will maintain the “theme and architectural heritage” of the neoclassical executive mansion. Plans call for a separate structure, adjacent but “not touching” the existing White House. “It won’t interfere with the current building,” Trump said in July. “It’ll be near it but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of. It’s my favorite place. I love it.” Still, images of the demolition sparked controversy across social media, with some critics, including one former lawmaker, calling the project an “utter desecration.” Despite the criticism, Trump’s supporters and donors have lauded the expansion as a “historic upgrade” to one of America’s most iconic buildings. The East Wing renovation marks the largest physical modification to the White House in over 80 years, rivaling the 1948 Truman reconstruction and the 1990s West Wing refurbishments.

The ballroom is part of a broader effort by Trump to reimagine Washington’s landmarks and leave a symbolic architectural legacy. At a fundraiser for ballroom donors earlier this month, Trump also unveiled a 3D model of a monument called the “Arc de Trump,” designed to resemble Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. He said the arch, topped with a gold statue, will be located across from the Lincoln Memorial and will “serve as a gateway to Washington while entering via the Arlington Memorial Bridge from Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.” The Arc de Trump is proposed to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026 and, like the ballroom, will be privately funded by supporters. Throughout his presidency, Trump, a former real estate developer, has personally overseen numerous aesthetic and structural updates to the White House, including:

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