On Oct. 20, the White House began tearing down the East Wing, and it is now completely gone. This action makes way for President Donald Trump’s new grand ballroom, which is expected to cost around $250 million. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Oct. 23 to “trust the process” as the rubble continues to be cleared out and the project progresses.
CNN reported that the sections destroyed include both the East Wing, where U.S. first ladies have had their office spaces for multiple decades, and the East Colonnade, which connected the wing to the main building. A White House official also told CNN that “all the historical components of the East Wing,” including objects from Rosalynn Carter’s original office as First Lady, “have been preserved and stored under the supervision of the White House Executive Residence and the National Park Service, with support from the White House Historical Association.”
Trump stated that he has raised $350 million for the project and has vowed to donate “whatever is needed” to complete it. “It’s been expanded and made absolutely — it’ll be the most beautiful ballroom anywhere in the world,” Trump said during a roundtable in the White House State Dining Room, reported NBC.
Despite the public having mixed emotions about this decision, Trump officials say the construction process is following legal and historical precedent. A Virginia couple even sued the Trump administration in an attempt to halt the ballroom’s construction. The couple, Charles and Judith Voorhees, requested that a federal judge issue a temporary restraining order to prevent further destruction of the wing. They said the project moved forward “without legally required approvals or reviews.”
This project marks the first significant exterior change to the White House in 83 years. Several preservation groups expressed concern about the project and requested a more transparent and thorough review process before it began, like the American Institute of Architects. PBS said that in remarks to reporters, Trump stated that two unnamed advisors informed him that he could initiate construction immediately, regardless of any oversight or zoning requirements.
The current East Wing was initially constructed in 1902 and renovated in 1942. It served as a public entrance to the White House and housed the family movie theater, as well as offices of legislative affairs, the military, and in-house calligraphers.
Where is the money coming from?
The White House provided a list to TIME magazine of all the individual and corporate donors donating to the ballroom:
- Altria Group, Inc., Amazon, Apple, Booz Allen Hamilton, Caterpillar, Inc.
- Coinbase, Comcast Corporation, J. Pepe and Emilia Fanjul, Hard Rock International, Google, HP Inc.
- Lockheed Martin, Meta Platforms, Micron Technology, Microsoft, Next Era Energy, Inc.
- Palantir Technologies Inc., Ripple, Reynolds American, T-Mobile, Tether America.
- Union Pacific Railroad, Adelson Family Foundation, Stefan E. Brodie, Betty Wold Johnson Foundation.
- Charles and Marissa Casacarilla, Edward and Shari Glazer, Harold Hamm, Benjamin Leon Jr.
- The Letnick Family, The Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Foundation, Stephen A. Schwarzman, Konstantin Sokolov.
- Kelly Loeffler and Jeff Sprecher, Paolo Tiramani, Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss.
How much each donor is giving is unclear. Additionally, part of the $22 million from YouTube’s $24.5 million settlement with Trump has been marked to cover some of the ballroom’s cost. The settlement is from a 2021 lawsuit filed by Trump over his suspension of his account following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
What is the White House Historical Association?
According to a report from The Associated Press, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy established the White House Historical Association in 1961 to “preserve the White House’s interior quality and educate the public.” The association “receives no government funding and raises money mostly through private donations and sales of retail merchandise.”
President of the WHHA, Stewart McLaurin, told the Associated Press that it is not the association’s mission to take a position on construction. The WHHA’s website states that its primary mandate is to “protect, preserve, and provide public access to the rich history of America’s Executive Mansion.”
Since the East Wing’s demolition, McLaurin told the Associated Press that “he has seen attendance spike at a free-of-charge education center the association opened in September 2024,” which is located just a block from the White House. The Education Center, “The People’s House: A White House Experience,” is open seven days a week, despite the government shutdown. The educational center experienced its busiest days to date over the weekend of Oct. 17-19, just before the East Wing demolition, with approximately 1,500 daily visitors, according to the Associated Press. The center’s previous average is 900.
When will they finish?
Although preservation groups like the American Institute of Architects have been advising members to urge Congress to launch an investigation into how the Trump administration would proceed “without adhering to any process or review,” the White House has said the project is “expected to be completed long before the end of President Trump’s term.” The briefing also stated that the administration “will continue to provide the American public with updates” on the ballroom project.