WASHINGTON — Construction crews began demolishing part of the White House’s historic East Wing on Monday as U.S. President Donald Trump moved ahead with his plan to build a lavish new presidential ballroom, marking one of the most dramatic architectural changes to the White House complex in decades.
Heavy machinery was seen tearing into the East Wing façade, which since 1942 has housed the First Lady’s offices, a theater, and the main visitor entrance for foreign dignitaries. The demolition marks the first step in a project Trump says will create “the finest ballroom in the country,” featuring panoramic views of the Washington Monument and space for up to 999 guests.
Estimated to cost $250 million, the project will be funded by Trump himself and private donors, according to statements the president made in July. “It will be beautiful,” Trump said at the time. “It won’t interfere with the existing building — it will be near it, not touching it — and will pay total respect to the White House, which I love more than anything.”
Speaking Monday at an event honoring the Louisiana State University baseball team, Trump confirmed that the ballroom construction had officially begun. “Right behind us, we’re building a ballroom,” he told the athletes. “You might hear some of the noise from the work going on.”
Images circulating online showed cranes and excavators dismantling sections of the East Wing, sparking widespread debate about the preservation of one of the White House’s most recognizable extensions. The White House press office declined to comment on details of the demolition.
Trump later took to Truth Social to reassure supporters, writing: “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!”
The East Wing was originally built under Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, atop a bunker constructed for presidential emergencies. Over the decades, it has served as both a symbolic and functional space — one that often strains to accommodate the White House’s growing staff and high-profile events.
Trump, who rose to fame as a real estate developer, has already left a distinct aesthetic mark on the White House, from gold-accented decor in the Oval Office to a revamped Rose Garden inspired by his luxury golf properties. He has also proposed large-scale additions to Washington’s cityscape, including an Arc de Triomphe-style monument to mark America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
While Trump insists the ballroom will preserve the White House’s historic integrity, preservationists and historians are expected to scrutinize the project closely, given the East Wing’s wartime origins and architectural heritage.
If completed as planned, the new structure will host state dinners and official galas, with receptions beginning in the East Room before guests proceed into what Trump has promised will be “a ballroom like no other in the world.”