Overview
- Excavators removed parts of the East Wing façade and windows on Monday as demolition began, and President Trump announced the groundbreaking on Truth Social.
- Plans call for a separate ballroom of roughly 8,000–8,400 square meters designed to host about 999–1,000 guests, with the East Room’s roughly 200-seat capacity cited as insufficient.
- The project is estimated at $200–$250 million and will be paid for by Trump and unnamed donors, with recent fundraising events reported and no donor list disclosed.
- White House officials say NCPC approval is required for the new structure but not for demolition, and the commission has not approved the build as its offices remain closed in the shutdown.
- Work affects areas traditionally used by the First Lady’s offices, and preservationists criticize the large neoclassical addition as damaging to the site’s integrity, with completion targeted before January 2029.