The White House starts demolishing part of the East Wing to build Trump's ballroom

https://www.npr.org/2025/10/20/g-s1-94315/white-house-demolishing-east-
wing-trump-ballroom

WASHINGTON — 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 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 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 
started in September. Plans call for the ballroom to be ready before 
Trump's term ends in January 2029.


-- 
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump.  We look 
forward to America being great again.

We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that 
stupid people won't be offended.

Every day is an IQ test. Some pass, some, not so much.

Thank you for cleaning up the disasters of the 2008-2017, 2020-2024 Obama 
/ Biden / Harris fiascos, President Trump.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the 
The World According To Garp.  Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood 
queer liberal democrat donors.