President Donald Trump has demolished the historic East Wing of the White House to make way for a new $300 million (£225 million) ballroom, sparking widespread criticism from historians and former White House staff. The East Wing, originally built in 1902 and expanded in 1942, was reduced to rubble by Friday, days after construction began on the massive ballroom.
The demolition contradicts Trump’s earlier promise in July that no existing infrastructure would be torn down. The new 90,000-square-foot ballroom, nearly double the size of the main White House, will accommodate 999 guests. Renderings show it resembles the gilded ballroom at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
Critics have condemned the move as an act of vandalism against a historic building. David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, called it “profoundly symbolic” of Trump treating public assets as private property. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has urged a pause pending review by the National Capital Planning Commission, which has not approved the project.
Trump has insisted the ballroom will be privately funded by “many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.” Donors include Apple, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Google, Lockheed Martin, Palantir, T-Mobile and Comcast. The White House aims to complete construction before Trump’s term ends in January 2029.
Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley compared the demolition to “slashing a Rembrandt painting” or “defacing a Michelangelo sculpture.” Trump adviser Stephen Miller defended the move on Fox News, calling the East Wing a “cheaply built add-on structure.”
