Trump Confirms Demolition of Entire White House East Wing for $300 Million Ballroom Project
In a bold move to expand the White House, President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday, October, 22, 2025 that the entire East Wing of the White House is set to be demolished to make way for a new $300 million ballroom raising the cost from $250 as it was earlier communicated by the White House.
The demolition marks one of the most extensive renovations to the presidential mansion in over a century.
Work commenced earlier this month with heavy machinery tearing down the existing structure, including offices traditionally occupied by the First Lady and her staff.
This demolition is a significant escalation from earlier statements by Trump, who initially assured that the ballroom construction would not interfere with the existing building.
However, two senior administration officials have confirmed that the entire East Wing is expected to be fully dismantled and modernized, with completion anticipated within weeks.
Trump announced the project on his social media platform, declaring, “Ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom.”
The new ballroom is expected to be the largest addition to the White House since its original construction, accommodating up to 1000 guests for state dinners and other official events.
The East Wing contains important historical offices and event spaces, and while demolition is underway, the White House has pledged to preserve and store all historical elements for future restoration and use.
The project, which Trump states will be financed by private donors and himself, is part of a broader effort to modernize the White House complex.
Critics have raised concerns over the demolition’s scale and the absence of full transparency, but administration officials maintain that the modernization will enhance functionality and preserve the White House’s legacy.
“We are deeply concerned that the massing and height of the proposed new construction will overwhelm the White House itself – (which) is 55,000 square feet – and may also permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House with its two smaller, and lower, East and West Wings,” the National Trust for Historic Preservation said in a letter to the Trump administration on Tuesday, October, 21,2025.
This unprecedented renovation underscores the current president’s commitment to leave a lasting architectural legacy on the US presidential residence.