East Wing Demolition for Trump's $250M Ballroom

Construction crews began tearing down part of the White House East Wing to make way for President Trump’s privately funded ballroom, a project the administration says will cost taxpayers nothing and is estimated at about $250 million. The planned neoclassical, 90,000-square-foot ballroom is billed as the first permanent presidential ballroom in more than 150 years and the largest White House addition since Truman, and is designed to hold roughly 900–1,000 guests with modern features such as bulletproof glass. Demolition photos and videos show heavy machinery ripping the East Wing façade, displacing First Lady staff, and removing South Lawn trees — reports say the historic Jackson Magnolia has been cleared — fueling preservation and oversight concerns. Donor events tied to the project have included executives from major tech and defense companies, prompting criticisms that corporate benefactors may gain closer access to the administration. The White House says demolition did not require National Capital Planning Commission approval and that new construction will match White House architecture, while critics continue to question cost, permits, oversight and legality; planners project completion before January 2029.