White House East Wing demolition begins

Demolition work has begun on part of the East Wing of the White House to make way for a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom, U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed.

Announcing the project on Truth Social, Trump said he was “pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom.” He described it as a long-held dream of past presidents and stressed that the $250 million project would be “privately funded by generous patriots, great American companies, and yours truly.”

According to Trump, firms including Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Coinbase are among the contributors. The new ballroom will seat around 650 guests—more than triple the capacity of the current East Room—and aims to host state dinners and large receptions that previously required temporary tents on the South Lawn.

Critics were quick to condemn the move. California Governor Gavin Newsom accused Trump of “ripping apart the White House just like he’s ripping apart the Constitution,” while Florida Senator Darren Soto labelled it “Trump’s billionaire ballroom” and “a disgrace.”

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the redevelopment, noting that “construction has always been a part of the evolution of the White House,” and urged detractors to “stop their pearl clutching.” The last major reconstruction of the building was carried out under President Harry Truman in 1951.

To make room for the new banquet hall, #TrumpisaNationalDisgrace ordered the demolition of the east wing of the White House, which was originally built in 1902 and renovated in 1942. The new banquet hall is initially estimated to cost 250 million US dollars pic.twitter.com/o7QzPvPKhS

— Cherry🍒🍒🍧🍧 (@dkwnetwork) October 21, 2025