Overview
- Excavators began tearing down portions of the East Wing as President Trump announced a ceremonial groundbreaking, affecting areas that traditionally house the First Lady’s offices.
- The planned venue is about 8,000 square meters with capacity for roughly 1,000 guests, with costs cited at $200–250 million to be financed by Trump and private donors.
- The White House says demolition required no National Capital Planning Commission sign-off, while the NCPC has not approved the new construction and it is unclear if plans were formally filed.
- Donor identities have not been publicly detailed, though reports say representatives from major tech firms and Lockheed Martin attended a recent thank‑you dinner.
- The administration targets completion before January 2029 as preservation groups and political opponents criticize the scale and timing of the project.