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Demolition crews started tearing down part of the White House’s historic East Wing on Monday to make way for President Donald Trump’s new ballroom, a project he claimed wouldn’t disrupt the landmark. Heavy machinery was seen dismantling the building’s facade, which houses the first lady’s offices, a theater, and a visitor entrance for foreign officials.
The estimated cost of building the ballroom is over $250 million, with Trump stating in July that he and donors would personally cover the expenses. “It will be stunning,” Trump remarked at the time. “It won’t interfere with the existing structure. It’ll be adjacent but not touching it. It respects the current building — which I admire the most. It’s my favorite.”
The White House did not comment publicly on Monday regarding the demolition. Trump announced that construction had officially begun after images of the ongoing work appeared in news reports.
“Right behind us, we’re constructing a ballroom,” Trump told visiting college baseball players from Louisiana State University in the White House’s East Room. “I didn’t expect to be standing here right now because there’s a lot of construction happening just on the other side, which you might hear now and then.”
Future events will kick off with cocktails in the East Room before guests move into what Trump promises will be the country’s finest ballroom, with views of the Washington Monument and space for nearly 1,000 attendees.
“Separated entirely from the White House, the East Wing is being modernized and will look better than ever when finished,” he added later on Truth Social.
Before his political career, Trump was a real estate developer and has made numerous cosmetic enhancements to the White House, including gold accents in the Oval Office and a redesigned Rose Garden inspired by his golf courses. He also proposed creating an Arc de Triomphe-style monument to mark the U.S. bicentennial in 2026.
The East Wing was constructed in 1942 under Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, built over a bunker designed for emergency presidential use. Still, the complex often struggles to accommodate the number of staff, visitors, and guests, sometimes hosting state dinners in tents on the South Lawn.
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