U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the full demolition of the White House’s East Wing to build a new presidential ballroom, reversing earlier assurances that the project would not alter the historic structure. The teardown, which began this week, has sparked outrage among Democrats and preservationists, who accuse Trump of disrespecting national heritage. The White House says the wing will be modernized as part of the renovation. Plans will be reviewed by the National Capital Planning Commission, chaired by Trump aide Will Scharf, who says he will assess the proposal impartially.
WASHINGTON, Oct 23, 2025 (Reuters) — The full East Wing of the White House is being demolished to make way for President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom, contradicting earlier assurances from the former New York real estate developer that the project would not alter the iconic U.S. landmark.
Demolition crews began tearing down the East Wing — which houses offices for the first lady and her staff — on Monday, with heavy machinery dismantling the facade as construction work expanded this week. Trump acknowledged the extent of the project on Wednesday, telling reporters in the Oval Office that the structure needed to be “taken down properly” to make way for the new addition.
“In order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure,” Trump said.
An administration official said the demolition would likely be completed within two weeks. “We can confirm that the entire East Wing is going to be modernized and renovated to, I guess, support the … ballroom project,” the official added.
The demolition has drawn fierce criticism from Democrats and preservationists, who accused the Trump administration of failing to follow proper review procedures and disrespecting a major piece of U.S. history. The White House has dismissed the criticism as “manufactured outrage.”
The current East Wing was built in 1942 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and has been home to generations of first ladies and their staff. While presidents have made renovations to the White House complex throughout history, Trump’s project represents one of the most sweeping changes in decades.
“President Trump’s desecration of the White House is an insult to the American people and a betrayal of his obligation to safeguard our history and heritage,” Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine, said in a statement Wednesday.
The White House said on Tuesday it plans to submit formal designs for the ballroom to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), which oversees major projects in Washington, D.C. The NCPC is chaired by Trump’s White House staff secretary, Will Scharf, who told Reuters he was not involved in planning the ballroom and could review the project impartially.
“I’ve played no role in the planning process here at the White House for the ballroom, and I take my duties as NCPC chairman very seriously,” Scharf said.
“If I don’t like a project, I’ll vote against it. If I do like a project, I’ll vote for it.”
If approved, Trump’s ballroom would mark the largest physical alteration to the White House grounds in more than half a century, further cementing his unconventional approach to the presidency and its symbols.
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