Demolition crews started the process of tearing down part of the White House East Wing on Monday to begin construction on President Trump’s planned ballroom.
The Washington Post published a photograph of crews demolishing a portion of the East Wing. According to the outlet, two people who saw the demolition confirmed the activity was taking place. The Post reported members of the Secret Service and others watched the demolition from the steps of the Treasury Department. The activity could reportedly be heard on the White House campus.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. The ballroom’s construction is slated to cost $200 million.
The White House has said the 90,000-square-foot event space would be constructed next to where the East Wing, which historically has served as a space for first ladies and members of their staff, with a goal of completing it before Trump’s second term wraps in 2029.
The president has touted the ballroom as a space where he and future presidents can hold state dinners, and gatherings with other notable figures.
“We’ve been planning it for a long time,” the president said in August. “They’ve wanted a ballroom at the White House for more than 150 years. There’s never been a president that was good at ballrooms. I’m really good.”
Trump added that no government funds will be used to construct the ballroom.
Last week, the president hosted a dinner for donors helping to fund the ballroom’s construction in the East Room. Attendees included representatives from Microsoft, Google, Palantir and other companies, as well as wealthy figures such as Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss.
However, plans for the ballroom have angered critics who have called it a vanity project and a distraction.
