Overview

• CBS News published new architectural visuals of the planned East Wing ballroom, offering a clearer sense of the addition’s design and footprint.
• The facility is described at about 90,000 square feet, larger than the roughly 55,000-square-foot main White House residence.
• Construction activity on the South Lawn began earlier in September, according to prior reporting cited by Alternet.
• Reaction on X skewed sharply critical with users and commentators ridiculing the design, though a few voices defended the project’s limited visibility.
• The expansion is being privately financed with pledges reported near $200 million, a funding approach that has drawn continued public scrutiny.