White House Fires Commission of Fine Arts

The White House on Tuesday terminated all six members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts — all Biden appointees — via an email that said their positions were “terminated, effective immediately.” The century‑old independent commission of architects and designers advises the president, Congress and D.C. officials and had been expected to review President Trump’s proposed $300 million White House ballroom and a proposed “Independence Arch.” The administration said it will appoint a new slate “more aligned with President Trump’s America First policies,” and argued the ballroom may only require review by the National Capital Planning Commission, which has itself been reshaped with Trump allies. Conservationists and some lawmakers condemned the removals after crews demolished the East Wing to make way for the ballroom, and senators have sought a full accounting of how the project is being funded. Critics say the purge removes a key advisory check on design and historic‑preservation norms and clears a path for the administration to move more rapidly on contested building plans.