Demolition of White House East Wing Commences to Construct Ballroom at Trump's Request

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Construction is officially underway for the grand White House State Ballroom, a $200 million project that marks a significant development on the iconic grounds. President Donald Trump announced this milestone on Monday, showcasing images of the East Wing’s facade being dismantled to make way for this ambitious endeavor.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared the commencement of the ballroom’s construction, a project he first unveiled nearly three months ago. He mentioned the funding sources include himself and “other patriot donors,” emphasizing a collective effort in financing this vision.

With the demolition of the East Wing’s exterior beginning, Trump highlighted that the building, traditionally housing the Office of the First Lady and the White House visitor’s entrance, will undergo a complete modernization during the construction process.

Spanning approximately 90,000 square feet, the new ballroom will significantly outsize the current 12,000-square-foot East Wing and even the 55,000-square-foot White House itself. This expansion is intended to accommodate larger gatherings and enhance the capacity for state visits.

According to White House officials, the ballroom will boast a seating capacity of 650, more than tripling the capacity of the East Room, thereby providing a venue fit for grander events and celebrations.

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Demolition of the East Wing’s facade is underway. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Part of the East Wing’s facade stands untouched during demolition

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Claw machines are used to demolish a part of the East Wing. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Getty Images

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Who Is Funding The Ballroom?

Trump, who hosted a dinner for the ballroom’s donors last week, will help fund the construction of the ballroom, using at least $22 million in settlement money gained from his recent censorship lawsuit against YouTube. Donors at the dinner included billionaires like Gemini founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss and oil executive Harold G. Hamm, according to The New York Times, which cited a guest list provided by a White House official that also included large companies like Amazon, Apple, Coinbase, Comcast, Google, HP, Meta, Microsoft, Palantir and T-Mobile.

Key Background

Renderings of the ballroom were released in July and showed coffered ceilings, chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling arched windows within the large structure. The building will be separate from the White House but its “theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical,” the White House has said. It is not clear when construction will be completed on the ballroom, as the White House has only noted it will be constructed “long before the end of President Trump’s term.” The White House has traditionally hosted larger events on the South Lawn, which would at times be outfitted with tents that featured flooring and lighting. Several state dinners hosted during the Obama and Biden administrations were held in tents, something Trump has taken issue with during both of his terms.

Tangent

Trump last week announced his administration plans to build an apparently massive triumphal arch in Arlington, Virginia, similar in style to Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. Details of the project, including the cost and a construction timeline, have not been released, but a rendering of the arch shared by the president suggests it will be taller than the Lincoln Memorial.