On October 20, 2025, demolition crews began dismantling the White House’s East Wing facade to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom funded by private donors, including President Donald Trump, capable of hosting up to 999 guests.
The project expands event space while aiming to preserve the building’s classical design, drawing on historical precedents like Theodore Roosevelt’s West Wing and Harry Truman’s reconstruction.
Critics, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Hillary Clinton, condemn the alterations to the 1942 structure linked to first ladies’ history, especially during a government shutdown and program cuts.
