'Entirety' of East Wing to be 'modernized' to build Trump ballroom: White House official

[ad_1] Demolition continued Wednesday on the White Home to make approach for President Donald Trump's $250 million ballroom, however the renovation is way extra intensive than he has let on.

Whereas Trump had mentioned again in July that the ballroom wouldn't "intervene" with the present constructing -- can be "close to it however not touching it" -- a White Home official confirmed to ABC Information that the "entirety of the East Wing can be modernized."

The extent of the demolition was first reported by The Washington Publish, which printed new images on Tuesday displaying bulldozers razing many of the East Wing -- what had been house to the primary girl's workplace, the White Home army workplace and extra.

A better, seven-foot fence was seen Wednesday across the East Wing web site, serving to to dam the demolition from public view.

Work continues on the demolition of part of the East Wing of the White Home, Oct. 21, 2025, in Washington, earlier than development of a brand new ballroom.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

A White Home official mentioned the East Wing was being "modernized" from its 1902 and 1942 constructions to help the ballroom mission and the longer term house of the East Wing. The scope and dimension of the mission, the official mentioned, has at all times been topic to vary as the method developed.

The Workplace of the First Woman and different East Wing parts have been relocated on the White Home advanced inside the White Home and Eisenhower Government Workplace Constructing, in line with a White Home official. The primary girl's workplace and employees had been moved out of the realm over a month in the past forward of the demolition, a White Home official confirmed to ABC Information.

Trump has lengthy wished to construct a ballroom on the White Home akin to that at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida. Mock-ups for the 90,000-square foot ballroom had been unveiled this summer time, and Trump mentioned the construct can be paid for by him and unidentified donors. The administration has mentioned little since about who precisely is funding the mission, sparking moral and authorized questions.

Trump indicated earlier this week that when the mission is finished, folks would be capable to stroll instantly from the White Home East Room into the ballroom, suggesting the development will contact the precise White Home -- one thing Trump himself had beforehand mentioned wouldn't occur.

A window dangles from the East Wing as work continues on the demolition of part of the East Wing of the White Home, Oct. 21, 2025, in Washington, earlier than development of a brand new ballroom.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

The facade of the East Wing of the White Home is demolished by work crews, October 22, 2025 in Washington.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures

The development this week kicked off a torrent of criticism.

Former first girl Hillary Clinton weighed in on Tuesday, writing on X that Trump is "destroying" the White Home.

"It’s not his home. It’s your own home. And he’s destroying it," Clinton wrote.

The Nationwide Belief for Historic Preservation despatched a letter to White Home Workers Secretary Will Scharf, whom Trump additionally appointed to go the Nationwide Capital Planning Fee, an government department company that gives planning steering and evaluations improvement proposals, voicing considerations in regards to the demolition and ballroom plan, calling for a pause.

The White Home East Wing Reworking

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"Whereas the Nationwide Belief acknowledges the utility of a bigger assembly area on the White Home, we're deeply involved that the massing and top of the proposed new development will overwhelm the White Home itself -- it's 55,000 sq. toes -- and might also completely disrupt the rigorously balanced classical design of the White Home with its two smaller, and decrease, East and West Wings," wrote Dr. Carol Quillen, the belief's president.

The nonprofit group urged the administration "to pause demolition till plans for the proposed ballroom undergo the legally required public assessment processes, together with session and assessment by the Nationwide Capital Planning Fee and the Fee of Positive Arts, and to ask remark from the general public."

Plans for the ballroom haven't but been submitted to the Nationwide Capital Planning Fee, regardless of demolition being already underway. White Home official confirmed to ABC Information that the White Home nonetheless intends to submit plans for the construct to the fee.

Individuals watch from outdoors a safety fence as demolition continues on the East Wing of the White Home, Oct. 22, 2025, in Washington.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

The White Home Historic Affiliation mentioned it " supported the preservation of East Wing historical past by way of a complete digital scanning mission and images to create an historic file. The East Wing and gardens have been captured intimately for the good thing about our nation and historic artifacts from the East Wing have been preserved and saved."

A White Home official mentioned "all of the historic parts of the East Wing ... have been preserved and saved underneath the supervision of the White Home Government Residence and the Nationwide Park Service with help from the White Home Historic Affiliation. Plans are in place for future use."

Crews demolish the East Wing of the White Home as development begins on President Trump's White Home ballroom, in Washington, October 22, 2025.

Aaron Schwartz/EPA/Shutterstock

The facade of the East Wing of the White Home is demolished by work crews, October 22, 2025 in Washington.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Pictures

The White Home on Tuesday defended the renovations and the development of the brand new ballroom in a prolonged press launch stating the mission is "a daring, crucial addition that echoes the storied historical past of enhancements and additions from commanders-in-chief to maintain the chief residence as a beacon of American excellence."

White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt, showing on Fox Information "Jesse Watters Primetime" on Tuesday, known as the backlash "pretend outrage" and mentioned presidents previous have additionally made adjustments to the White Home.

"He's the builder-in-chief, largely he was elected again to this Individuals's Home as a result of he's good at constructing issues. He has achieved it his total life, his total profession," Leavitt mentioned. "And development is a course of. On the finish, the East Wing which is a wholly separate construction from the Government Mansion you see behind me, can be extra fashionable and delightful than ever. After which on high of that, the White Home goes to have an enormous, stunning ballroom for generations of People to come back."

However in line with a report from the Wall Road Journal, the Treasury Division (situated subsequent to the renovation web site) has instructed workers to not share pictures of the demolition.

Trump, internet hosting Senate Republicans for lunch on Tuesday at his newly-renovated Rose Backyard Membership, celebrated the ballroom construct.

"You most likely hear the gorgeous sound of development within the again. You hear that? Oh, that’s music to my ears," Trump mentioned. "I like that sound. Different folks do not prefer it, I adore it."