October 31, 2025/Midnight
Erie, PA. – On Monday demolition crews tore down the historic East Wing of the White House. President Trump introduced plans to add a ballroom to the White House for years before he became president. He pitched these plans during President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden’s presidencies, and they refused.
Contrary to most larger scale renovation projects, the National Capital Planning Committee (NCPC) did not confirm the demolition. President Trump announced his plans for the ballroom in July with demolition beginning in earlier this month.
The estimated cost of the ballroom will be $300 million stretching over 90,000 square feet.
Donors and companies are reportedly funding the demolition and reconstruction of the East Wing. According to the Washington Post, companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft and 26 more have donated millions for President Trump’s renovation project.
This project is managed by Clark Construction, handpicked by President Trump, with AECOM providing engineering support and McCrery Architects designing the ballroom.
Historically the East Wing, constructed in 1902, was used as office space for the first lady and her staff. The wing is fully demolished, and PBS News reported the ballroom is set to completed before the end of President Trump’s term in early 2029. This demolition is considered the largest scale remolding of the White house since Harry Truman in 1948.
The White House’s East Room is the current place where President Trump holds formal events for celebrities and heads of state. Trump frequently expresses frustration with the space; insisting it needed to be larger to hold more guests. The ballroom is designed to hold 650 people, more than triple the capacity of the East Room. AP News reports many senators have expressed a variety of feelings about this construction. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., could not find significance in the construction of the ballroom. Sen. Jeff Merkley D-Or., finds the East wing destruction to be “evidence of the president tearing down a symbol of our Republic.”
Other Republican senators have compared the construction of the ballroom to previous renovation projects over the years. Projects like the construction of a pool by President Gerald Ford and the addition of a basketball court by President Obama.
National Park Services manage the White House grounds and are committed to maintaining the fundamental character of the White House. Meaning they work alongside President Trump to preserve as much of the historical exterior molding and architecture as possible.
With the government shutdown still in effect many politicians in D.C. wonder whether this ballroom is necessary, or if there are other more pressing matters for the President to handle.
