Crews Knock Down White House Exterior as Trump’s Ballroom Project Begins

Construction crews have begun demolishing a portion of the White House as part of President Donald Trump’s project to build a lavish presidential ballroom projected to cost $250 million.

According to photos obtained by The Washington Post, the crews have knocked down a portion of the East Wing — despite promises from Trump to not interfere with the original building.

“It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it but not touching it — and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” Trump said in July.

Despite Trump’s comments, photos show a significant portion of the building being removed to make place for his new project. On the White House website, officials have made it a point to highlight that over its history the East Wing has been “heavily changed” and “reconstructed” since it was erected in 1902. That portion of the historic building, the site says, “has been renovated and changed many times, with a second story added in 1942.”

Trump referenced the construction Monday during an event honoring Louisiana State University’s NCAA champion baseball team at the White House.

“We’re building a ballroom. I’m giving that honor to this incredible place,” he said. “Right on the other side, you have construction going on which you might hear.”

During the past few months Trump has been on a remodeling spree in the White House, adding gold ornaments to the Oval Office, displaying a copy of the Declaration of Independence next to his desk and adding portraits of past presidents outside the West Wing of the White House (with a picture of an “autopen” in place of former President Joe Biden.)

The ballroom is projected to be 90,000 square feet and have a capacity of 650 people, White House officials said earlier this year. Renderings of the ballroom show an opulent interior with golden chandeliers, consistent with Trump’s other remodeling projects around the White House.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has repeatedly said that the new ballroom will be funded by private donors, including Trump.

Last week, the president hosted a dinner for wealthy donors who have contributed to the construction project, including representatives from tech giants like Google, Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin and Coinbase.