Overview
- After the East Wing was demolished in October, construction is under way on a 90,000‑square‑foot event space on the White House grounds.
- Trump reiterated on Nov. 30 that the ballroom will be paid for with private donations at zero cost to taxpayers and declared it would be done “RIGHT.”
- Recent reporting places the price at roughly $300 million to $350 million, with capacity figures rising from about 650 toward higher seating targets.
- The project’s lead architect, James McCrery II, has urged restraint over concerns the addition could dwarf the mansion, and he remains involved in a consultative role.
- Multiple outlets report Trump told crews traditional permitting and zoning did not apply, the administration reshaped design review boards, and the White House released a donor list naming major corporations such as Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and T‑Mobile.