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Demolition of the White House East Wing began Monday as President Donald Trump moves ahead with a $200 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom project funded by private donors.
CNN footage showed an excavator tearing down portions of the East Wing, with video and close-up images revealing sections of the roof removed and crews breaking through interior walls.
Renderings released earlier by the White House depict a sprawling neoclassical ballroom with gilded columns, marble floors and chandeliers. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said over the summer that the “state ballroom” would replace the East Wing, which has traditionally housed offices for first ladies and their staff.
The project fulfills a 15-year ambition by Trump to expand the White House’s entertainment capacity while evoking the opulent style of his private resorts. It follows other Trump-led renovations to the grounds, including new flagpoles, paving over the Rose Garden, and redesigning the Oval Office in gold.
“I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,” Trump posted Monday on Truth Social. “The East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process and will be more beautiful than ever when complete.”
Trump also mentioned the construction earlier in the day while honoring LSU’s baseball teams in the East Room. “They wanted a ballroom for 150 years, and I’m giving that honor to this wonderful place,” he said, adding that guests might hear construction nearby.
According to renderings, the ballroom will feature gold inlays, Corinthian columns, arched windows overlooking the South Lawn, and seating for 650 guests—triple the capacity of the East Room, currently the largest event space in the White House.
At a dinner with major donors, Trump said the design would “match the White House architecture” and maintain its traditional window shapes and colors. He said he was told there were “zero zoning conditions” for the project.
“‘Sir, you can start tonight, you have no approvals,’” Trump recalled. “They said, ‘Sir, this is the White House. You’re the president of the United States. You can do anything you want.’”
White House communications director Steven Cheung defended the construction Monday, posting a 1950s photo of the Truman-era White House renovation on X. “Losers who are quick to criticize need to stop their pearl clutching,” Cheung wrote. “The building needs to be modernized.”
