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2mo ago

White House Fires Entire Fine Arts Commission as Trump Advances Ballroom and Arch Plans

The administration will replace the board with loyalists, escalating pressure from preservationists and lawmakers for public review and donor disclosure.

Heavy machinery works during demolition of the East Wing of the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed ballroom is being built, in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 24, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Heavy machinery works during demolition of the East Wing of the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed ballroom is being built, in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 24, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
A person takes a video of the ongoing demolition of the East Wing of the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed ballroom is being built, in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 24, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
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Overview

  • All six Biden-appointed members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts were notified by White House email that their positions were terminated effective immediately, according to reports confirmed by a White House official.
  • The White House says it will appoint a new slate of commissioners aligned with President Trump’s 'America First' policies to fill the advisory panel established by Congress in 1910.
  • The move follows the rapid demolition of the White House East Wing to make way for a privately funded, roughly 90,000‑square‑foot ballroom estimated at $250 million to $300 million.
  • A White House official said ballroom construction plans will be submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission 'soon'; Trump installed new NCPC members in July, with aide Will Scharf now serving as chair.
  • Preservation groups urged a pause for formal review, and senators led by Adam Schiff requested a complete accounting of funding and any promised benefits to donors, while the White House notes CFA’s role is advisory with historical precedent for replacement dating to Truman’s 1947 balcony dispute.