Trump Tears Down White House East Wing to Build USD250M Ballroom
(MENAFN) A section of the East Wing of the White House is being torn down to make way for a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom, according to an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump, who confirmed that demolition work is already underway.
“Pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,” Trump wrote Tuesday in a post on Truth Social.
Photos and video footage of the ongoing demolition have circulated widely across social media and were published by several media outlets, showing heavy machinery clearing the historic wing.
According to Trump, the ballroom—designed to accommodate up to 650 guests—fulfills a long-standing presidential ambition. “For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits,” he claimed.
The $250 million project will be financed entirely through private funding, Trump asserted. “This much-needed project” he wrote, “is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.”
At a recent dinner with corporate leaders, Trump named Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Coinbase as major contributors to the privately funded expansion.
Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration over the absence of a formal venue large enough for state receptions, which are often relegated to temporary tents on the South Lawn. Currently, the East Room is the largest indoor event space in the White House, accommodating far fewer guests than the planned ballroom.
The announcement immediately drew backlash from Democratic leaders.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a post on X, slammed the project, saying Trump is “ripping apart the White House just like he’s ripping apart the Constitution.”
Florida Senator Darren Soto also weighed in, calling the initiative “Trump’s billionaire ballroom” and labeling it a “disgrace.”
In defense of the project, White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung pushed back against the criticism on X, writing: “Construction has always been a part of the evolution of the White House.” He added, “Losers who are quick to criticize need to stop their pearl clutching and understand the building needs to be modernized.”
The last comprehensive White House reconstruction concluded in 1951 under President Harry S. Truman, a period that saw the complete rebuilding of the interior due to structural deterioration.
With this latest transformation, the White House faces another chapter in its long architectural evolution—this time led by Trump’s vision of grander, privately funded hospitality.
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