Overview
- Heavy machinery has torn into the East Wing to make way for a new ballroom, reversing earlier assurances it would be a separate annex that would not alter the existing structure, with Trump later saying demolition was necessary.
- The plan envisions roughly 90,000 square feet for as many as 999 guests at a reported cost ranging from about $200 million to $300 million, with Clark Construction as contractor and McCrery Architects designing the project.
- The White House says the build is privately funded by Trump and outside donors, yet it has not published a full donor list after high-dollar fundraising events with major companies and executives.
- The National Capital Planning Commission has not approved the project; its chair, Will Scharf, has argued the commission lacks jurisdiction over demolition, while the role of the National Park Service and other reviews remains in question.
- The Treasury Department instructed employees not to take or share photos of the site for security reasons, as preservationists and architects urge a pause and insist on legally required public-review processes.