Overview
- Photos and eyewitness accounts on Oct. 20–21 show heavy equipment removing parts of the East Wing facade, a section that has housed the first lady’s offices, a theater and a visitor entrance.
- The project is described as roughly 90,000 square feet with seating for about 650 and a cost reported between $200 million and $250 million, which the White House says will be covered by Trump and private donors.
- Trump announced that ground was broken and said the East Wing will be modernized and separate from the residence, contradicting prior assurances that nothing would be torn down.
- NCPC’s chair has stated demolition and site-prep fall outside the commission’s authority, allowing teardown to start while broader construction approvals and donor disclosures remain contested.
- A recent White House dinner for contributors featured reported attendees from major tech and defense companies, intensifying scrutiny over access and transparency tied to private funding.