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2w ago

White House East Wing Razed for Trump’s $300 Million Ballroom

Private financing is pledged, drawing scrutiny over donor influence and the rushed review process.

Construction crews continue demolishing the White House’s East Wing on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, as a Virginia couple files suit to stop President Trump’s $250 million ballroom project, sparking debate over presidential authority. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
The demolition of the East Wing of the White House, the location of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed ballroom is seen from an elevated position on the North side of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 23, 2025. REUTERS/ Andrew Leyden
Image
The demolition of the East Wing of the White House, the location of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed ballroom is seen from an elevated position on the North side of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 23, 2025. REUTERS/ Andrew Leyden

Overview

  • New aerial and ground images confirm the entire East Wing has been demolished, removing the first lady’s office area and the 1942 presidential screening room.
  • Plans call for a roughly 90,000-square-foot venue designed to seat about 999 guests, vastly exceeding the 200-person capacity of the East Room.
  • The project’s estimated budget has risen to about $300 million from an initial $200 million, and the White House says taxpayers will not pay as it released a list of private donors including major tech and defense companies and prominent individuals.
  • Preservation groups and Democratic lawmakers are calling for transparency and a pause, with unresolved questions about whether customary reviews occurred while the NCPC and Commission of Fine Arts were shuttered during the government shutdown.
  • Trump had said the ballroom would not interfere with the existing building, a statement now at odds with the full demolition documented this week.