Overview
- Demolition began Monday, with AFP journalists witnessing the removal of part of the East Wing as groundwork started on the new ballroom.
- Plans call for a hall exceeding 8,000 square meters with capacity for roughly 900 to 1,000 guests and an estimated $250 million budget.
- The project replaces the East Wing, the area traditionally housing the First Lady’s offices, according to the released designs.
- President Trump says the venue will host large state dinners for visiting leaders and other major official events.
- The White House says the build will be fully financed by donors and companies after a thank-you dinner that drew representatives from Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft, Palantir and Lockheed Martin, while critics and historians denounce the alteration.