Overview
- Crews demolished the East Wing to clear space for a roughly 90,000-square-foot ballroom estimated at about $300–$350 million and funded through private donations disclosed by the administration.
- The White House advanced demolition without waiting for National Capital Planning Commission approval, arguing the residence is exempt, while formal design submissions and public reviews are still to come.
- A Yahoo News-YouGov survey reported by CNN found Americans disapproved of the teardown 57%-26% and of the ballroom plan 61%-25%, with strong opposition spanning independents.
- Biographer Michael Wolff alleged Trump sought to conceal the scope of the project, recounting a claim he asked if demolition could occur at night, an assertion the White House has not confirmed.
- T-Mobile said it donated to the Trust for the National Mall and has no role in how funds are used, as preservation groups and other critics pursue legal and oversight challenges and fault the timing during a shutdown.