Overview

• CBS News published new images showing a gold-toned, 90,000-square-foot ballroom planned for the East Wing that visually towers over the 55,000-square-foot main residence.
• Construction activity began earlier this month on the South Lawn, with McCrery Architects PLLC identified as the design firm on the project.
• The White House says the ballroom addresses a long-standing need for a larger events space on the complex dating back roughly 150 years.
• President Trump has said the project will rely on private financing rather than taxpayer funds, with reporting estimating the cost at about $200 million.
• Social media reaction intensified after the images appeared, with critics deriding the scale and aesthetics and questioning the priorities reflected by the design.