White House East Wing Demolished Amid Lawsuit

Satellite and ground images show the White House’s historic East Wing was demolished in late October to clear space for President Trump’s proposed 90,000-square-foot, roughly $300 million private-donor-funded ballroom. The White House says the wing will be modernized and rebuilt, that formal construction plans will be submitted soon, and Trump and aides defend the work as donor-funded replacement rather than a taxpayer expense. Preservationists, lawmakers including Rep. Bennie Thompson and Sen. Chuck Schumer, and historians say federal and public historic-review processes were bypassed and have filed motions seeking a pause and a temporary restraining order. Reporters documented trucks hauling rubble and dirt to a D.C. golf course and a concrete-recycling plant and published donor lists that reportedly include major tech and defense firms. Critics warn the demolition erased decades of history by destroying the East Colonnade, Jackie Kennedy’s garden, FDR’s theater and public-tour access and raises legal, ethical and legacy questions, while some outlets have speculated the work could include classified security upgrades.