White House Destroys Historic Family Theater During East Wing Reconstruction

The historic White House Family Theater, a 42-seat cinema inside the East Wing established in 1942 under Franklin D. Roosevelt, has been demolished as part of President Donald Trump's $300 million project to replace the entire East Wing with a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom. This theater, which hosted private and public screenings for presidents and their families over decades, symbolized a unique and intimate aspect of presidential life, but was razed despite concerns from preservationists and historians about the loss of heritage and the lack of formal historic preservation review. The East Wing, home to offices for first ladies and social staff, was also demolished amid secrecy and cancelled public tours, drawing criticism about prioritizing vanity and spectacle over public access and historical preservation. Trump’s administration claims the ballroom will be privately funded and modernize the White House, but critics see the expansion as an ego-driven project that undermines the symbolic humility and accessibility of the presidential residence. The demolition has erased a significant part of White House history, including the venue where presidents from Eisenhower to Carter and Reagan watched films, and where major speeches were rehearsed. This development highlights tensions between modernization efforts and preserving the historic and public character of the White House.