Topline
The demolition of the East Wing of the White House neared completion Thursday morning, making way for construction of President Donald Trump’s White House State Ballroom, months after the president said the $300 million project would not “interfere” with the East Wing.
Almost the entire east wing had been demolished by Thursday morning.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Key facts
Photos taken Thursday morning showed nearly the entire East Wing, built in 1942 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, being razed.
Trump in one Truth Social Post announced the start of construction on the ballroom on Monday, nearly three months after he first unveiled plans to build it without interfering with the East Wing, previously saying the ballroom project “pays full respect to the existing building, of which I am the biggest fan.”
Since Trump’s comments, the White House has determined that demolishing the East Wing was “cheaper and structurally sounder” than building an addition. The New York Times reported, noting that the ballroom structure will have enhanced security features.
Demolition of the east wing facade began Monday, with Trump declaring that the building, which has housed the First Lady’s office, the White House visitors’ entrance and more, is “being fully modernized as part of this process.”
The ballroom will be approximately 90,000 square feet, much larger than the 12,000-square-foot East Wing and the 55,000-square-foot White House.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the ballroom will cost about $300 million, a significant increase from the initial $200 million price tag announced by the White House in July.
The White House has said the ballroom will be used for larger celebrations and state visits, noting a seating capacity of 650 people, which is more than three times the capacity of the White House East Room.
Debris was seen Thursday near a largely demolished portion of the East Wing of the White House.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
A worker walks through rubble at a largely demolished part of the East Wing.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Water is sprayed over the east wing as demolition takes place on Wednesday.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
The facade of the East Wing will be demolished on Wednesday.
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The demolition of the facade of the East Wing is underway. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Part of the facade of the East Wing remains untouched during the early demolition.
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Claw machines are used to demolish part of the East Wing. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Getty Images
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What did Trump say about the demolition?
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said: “We determined that after a tremendous amount of research with some of the best architects in the world, we determined that by actually tearing it down, trying to use a small portion… the east wing was not left with much of the original. Over the course of 100 years, it was changed… In order to do it right, we had to tear down the existing structure.”
Who finances the ballroom?
Trump, who hosted a dinner for the ballroom’s donors last week, will help finance the ballroom’s construction, using at least $22 million in settlement money earned from his recent censorship lawsuit against YouTube. Donors at the dinner included billionaires like Gemini founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss and oil executive Harold G. Hamm, according to The New York Timeswhich cited a guest list provided by a White House official that also included major companies such as Amazon, Apple, Coinbase, Comcast, Google, HP, Meta, Microsoft, Palantir and T-Mobile.
Important background
Renderings of the ballroom were released in July, showing coffered ceilings, chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling arched windows throughout the grand building. The building will be separate from the White House, but the “theme and architectural heritage will be virtually identical,” the White House said. It’s not clear when construction on the ballroom will be completed, as the White House has only noted that it will be built “well before the end of President Trump’s term.” The White House traditionally hosted larger events on the South Lawn, sometimes equipped with tents with floors and lights. Several state dinners hosted during the Obama and Biden administrations were held in tents, something Trump has done raised during both of his terms.
Tangent
Trump announced his administration plans last week to build an apparently enormous triumphal arch in Arlington, Virginia, similar in style to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Details of the project, including costs and a construction timeline, have not been released, but a rendering of the arch shared by the president suggests it will be larger than the Lincoln Memorial.
Read more
Trump’s $200 Million Ballroom Addition Is Bigger Than the Existing White House: What We Know (with Photos) (Forbes)
YouTube settles lawsuit against Trump: $22 million goes to the White House Ballroom (Forbes)
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