White House East Wing: Demolition begins for Donald Trump's $250m new ballroom - what are his plans, who will be funding it, when will it be completed?
Demolition of the White House's East Wing has begun to make way for President Donald Trump's gilded $250 million ballroom.
Banging and crashing were heard throughout the area, as clusters of staffers and journalists watched construction equipment tear chunks out of the walls on Monday (20 October). When the ballroom project was originally announced, the president and White House officials suggested that at least a portion of the East Wing would stay intact.
Trump said at the time: “It won't interfere with the current building. It'll be near it, but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of. It's my favorite.” Trump used similar language in a Truth Social post Monday evening after the demolition footage started to circulate.
He said: “Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!”
Trump announced in July plans to build a grand, 25,000 square feet ballroom to accommodate state dinners and other formal events. Renderings show a lavish design - crystal chandeliers, gilded columns and gold inlays - reflecting the opulent aesthetic of the president's Mar-a-Lago resort.
The new ballroom is supposed to be privately funded, with Trump chipping in himself. Donors include Silicon Valley titans, Apple and Google, defense behemoth Lockheed Martin, and telecom provider, T-Mobile.
The East Wing, in its original form, was constructed in 1902 during President Theodore Roosevelt's tenure, initially as a small structure that served as the public entrance. It has since been expanded and modified, notably with the addition of a second story in 1942 to provide offices for First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her staff.
Trump last week held a glitzy White House dinner with billionaires and company executives who are bankrolling the ballroom. Among the guests were oil baron Harold Hamm, Blackstone chief executive Steve Schwarzman, and Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
Trump opened the gold curtains behind him to unveil the construction site. The ballroom is expected to have a capacity of 1,000 people and will be fitted with bulletproof glass.
Trump said: “There won't be anything like it. Because of you, they're going to get it. And me too. So many of you have been really, really generous.”
The White House says on its website: “The project will begin in September 2025, and it is expected to be completed long before the end of President Trump’s term.”