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 Initial proposed version 1.svg) Initial proposed version 2.svg) East Wing in 2024 |
TheWhite House State Ballroom is part of a planned new East Wing of theWhite House which is meant to replace the demolishedEast Wing, which was torn down in October 2025 in preparation of the ballroom construction. The site, inWashington, D.C., has been under construction since September 2025. Announced in July 2025, the purpose of the 89,000-square-foot (8,270 m2) expansion is to add a venue with a higher seating capacity than theEast Room for formal events such asstate dinners. The project has been criticized for its funding, design, and permitting process.
Traditionally, formal events at the White House are held in theEast Room of theExecutive Residence, which has a seating capacity of 200 people, or in specially constructed tents on the White House grounds forstate dinners.[1] PresidentJoe Biden held four of his six state dinners outdoors using tents.[2] PresidentDonald Trump described the tents used for events as "not a pretty sight".[1] The tents, described by a former White House chef as "embarrassing" and as resulting in guests being "elbow to elbow", often cost $1 million or more for each event.[3] During PresidentBarack Obama's first term in office, at least as early as 2010, then-private citizen Trump spoke to senior advisorDavid Axelrod and expressed a desire to build aballroom on White House grounds.[4][5]
The White House has undergone a number of renovations and restorations in the roughly 230 years of its existence. The largest of these projects was theWhite House Reconstruction, which took place from 1949 to 1952, while PresidentHarry S. Truman was in office. In order to save the then 150-year-old building from collapse, the entire interior structure of the Executive Residence was numbered and dismantled. Splitting beams and burned timbers damaged by the British in theWar of 1812 were removed. The foundation of the outer walls was stabilized and reinforced. A basement and sub basement were dug, and then all four floors were reconstructed on a new steel frame inside the original sandstone walls. Since then, theWhite House curator has overseen much smaller projects and redecorations in the actual Executive Residence.[6][page needed] New features like swimming pools, tennis courts and bowling alleys were added by various presidents after Truman's renovation.[7] The demolition of theEast Wing was the first major structural change to the White House complex since theTruman balcony in 1948.[8]
Architect James McCrery II, founder and principal of McCrery Architects, was hired on July 13, 2025, by Trump.[10][11] Plans for the ballroom, to be built alongside a "modernized"East Wing, were announced by the White House on July 31, 2025.[1] Even though the existing building was later demolished, Trump said the ballroom being constructed "won't interfere with the current building", would not be "touching it", and would pay "total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of".[12]
The Washington Post reported in August that the project had not yet been submitted for review to theNational Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) as required by federal law, and that such approvals often took years.[13][14] The administration claimed that a 1964 executive order allowed the president to bypass the commission, but after aPost reporter pointed out the legal requirement, the White House said the commission "will be a part of that process at the appropriate time".[13] TheNational Park Service completed aenvironmental assessment in late August that found "no significant impact".[15]
A consortium led byClark Construction was awarded theUS$200M contract in August 2025.[16] In September, with plans for the ballroom still not submitted, commission chairWill Scharf clarified during a public meeting of the NCPC that the approval process is only required for construction, not demolition or site preparation work.[17] Initially expected to seat 650, in September Trump said this had been revised upward to 900,[18] and in October he said it would be able to hold 999 people.[19]
In December 2025, the White House announced that Trump had selectedShalom Baranes to pick up the design and that McCrery would move to a consulting role.[20] Though the White House gave no reason,[21] McCrery had reportedly been unable to meet deadlines because his workforce was too small.[20]
ThePresidential Emergency Operations Center located beneath the formerEast Wing was dismantled as part of site preparation. It will be replaced by a new below-grade facility.[22] While this part of the project is top secret according to White House director of management and administration Joshua Fisher, Trump confirmed in October 2025 that "The military is very much involved in this."[23] The secret subterranean security structure would not be part of the disclosed project cost.[22]
Justice Department lawyers said in a court filing on February 2, 2026, that if the district court were to halt "the East Wing Modernization and State Ballroom Project,” the Trump administration would appeal on the grounds of "national security implications".[24] The next day, on Truth Social, Trump posted a rendering of what the ballroom would look like.[25]
Reportedly, Trump and private donors will pay for the ballroom. Initially announced at a cost of $200 million, the estimate was raised to $300 million in October 2025[26][1][27] and $400 million in December.[28]
On October 22, the White House released a list of companies and private citizens who had donated to the funding of the ballroom, though without disclosing the amount of each donation:[29] By the end of October, $350 million had been raised.[30]
On November 1, 2025,The New York Times reported that the White House had withheld the names of several donors, among themBlackRock,Nvidia, andJeff Yass, who have major business concerns that could be impacted by decisions by the Trump Administration.[31]
BBC News reported that while the new building would be architecturally similar to the rest of the mansion, it would feature a "lavish interior including chandeliers and ornate columns".[1] The sides of the ballroom will be made with bulletproof glass.[19] The announcement stated that the project will be an addition of 90,000 sq ft (8,360 sq m); despite interpretations that this referred to the floor area of the ballroom itself, an analysis based on released renderings of the plans suggested that the 90,000 sq ft referred to the full floor area of the planned new East Wing, with the ballroom's floor area being closer to 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2).[40] Trump said the ballroom is planned to be attached to theExecutive Residence by what he described as a "glass bridge".[27]
The Hill reported that critics of the project said the ornamentation is "out of touch and ostentatious".[41]
On January 8, 2026, the White House announced that the banquet hall would be 22,000 square feet (2,000 m2) and there would also be offices for thefirst lady and a movie theater.[42]
Construction began in September 2025.[43] Construction continued during the2025 United States federal government shutdown that October; aWhite House Office of Management and Budget memo stated that the construction was being funded by private donors and would not be impacted by federal budget negotiations.[44] Demolition of the East Wing began on October 20.[45] According to a White House official, the "entirety" of the East Wing is planned to eventually be "modernized and rebuilt".[46][47][48]The Wall Street Journal reported that employees of theUnited States Treasury Department were directed not to take pictures or video of the construction work; the department'sheadquarters are next door to the White House.[49]
The project is expected to be finished before Trump's term ends in 2029.[11][50] Experts interviewed byThe New York Times described the proposed timetable for completion before 2029 as "optimistic".[51]
Twomagnolia trees are believed to have been removed during the construction of the ballroom in late October 2025. The trees had been planted as commemorative trees for presidentsWarren G. Harding andFranklin D. Roosevelt in 1947 and 1942 respectively. The Harding tree had previously been in a different location, planted in 1922 by first ladyFlorence Harding.[52]
Trump applauded the construction and highlighted the private donations causing no payment needed from the federal government. The White House Rapid Response team posted toTwitter about the construction, calling it a continuation of a long tradition of presidents modernizing the White House to meet the needs of the modern day.[53] House speakerMike Johnson also highlighted the many construction projects in the history of the White House and stated, "President Trump’s going to have the greatest improvement of the White House in the history of the building." House majority leaderSteve Scalise also referenced the many renovations of the White House and claimed that any opposition was the Democratic Party's need to object to any idea by Trump.[54] Although First LadyMelania Trump did not release a statement on the construction of the ballroom, there were reports that she privately raised concerns over the demolition of the East Wing in order for the construction to take place.[55][56]
On October 21, shortly after the construction began, former first lady and 2016 presidential candidateHillary Clinton posted about the construction on Twitter, stating, "It's not his house. It's your house. And he's destroying it." RepresentativeJamie Raskin tweeted a picture of the construction linking it to theWar of 1812 when theWhite House was set on fire by British troops and how Trump was also destroying the White House while fashioning himself as a king.[53]
Experts have cited concerns and doubt among historians and preservationists that the construction would damage the historical integrity of the White House.[57] The White House is exempt from the review process of theNational Historic Preservation Act of 1966.[58] The building is overseen by non-binding recommendations of theCommittee for the Preservation of the White House. Ever since the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) was tasked with reviewing federal development projects in Washington, D.C., in 1952, updates to the White House by US presidents have seen voluntary submission of their plans to the NCPC prior to the beginning of construction,[51] but to date[when?] the Trump administration has not submitted its plans for the ballroom to that body.[59]
On October 21, the head of theNational Trust for Historic Preservation sent a letter to White House officials citing concerns about the new construction and building potentially overwhelming the classical design of the building and argued that construction should pause as the building was a national historic landmark.[7] On December 12, the National Trust filed a lawsuit against President Trump alleging that he violated theAdministrative Procedure Act and theNational Environmental Policy Act by fast-tracking the construction without comprehensive design reviews, public comments, or congressional approval.[60] The suit aims to force President Trump pause the project until he has submitted the plans to several bodies and Congress for public review and input.[61] The Trump administration replied that the ballroom construction must continue for classified reasons of national security that may be shared with the judge but not with the plaintiffs.[62] In mid-December, the Trump administration told a federal judge that it would submit plans for review by the end of December to two oversight bodies established by Congress, theNational Capital Planning Commission and theCommission of Fine Arts.[63]
Ethics experts express concern over the private funding of the renovation and possibleconflicts of interest and attempts by donors to influence the president; the White House did not answer whether a competitive bidding process was followed.[26]
In September it was revealed thatAlphabet, the multinational technology conglomerate holding company and the third-largest technology company by revenue, owner of Google, is a donor to the ballroom project. Alphabet donated $22 million towards construction as part of a settlement for a lawsuit Trump filed in 2021 accusing the company of violating hisFirst Amendment rights.[64] Aside from Alphabet, theAssociated Press reported on October 21 that the White House had not yet fulfilled their promise to publish a full list of donors funding the ballroom project.[65] It did so on October 22.[29] The following day, the nonprofitAsbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) sent a public letter to the White House requesting records related to asbestos inspection, abatement, and disposal associated with the East Wing demolition, citing concerns regarding compliance with federal asbestos safety requirements and transparency related to potential health risks.[66]
The Hill described the timing of the renovations as poor, coming in amidst poor jobs reports and concerns over the impact ofTrump's tariffs on the greater economy.[41]
In January 2026, ADAO filed a federal Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking public records concerning asbestos inspection, abatement, public notification, and disposal activities connected to the October 2025 demolition of the East Wing.[67]
According to aYouGov poll released on October 22, the majority of polled Americans disapproved of the decision to demolish the East Wing as part of the renovation at 53%, with only 24% of respondents indicated that they approved. In the follow up question about the plans to renovate and build additions to the White House including the new ballroom, 50% indicated that they disapproved of the plans with only 33% indicating that they approved.[68] A jointThe Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos conducted from October 24–28 found that 56% of Americans polled opposed the project, while 28% approved and 16% were undecided.[69][70]
Media related toWhite House State Ballroom at Wikimedia CommonsEveryone, it seems, has an opinion about the project, even first lady Melania Trump, who privately raised concerns about tearing down the East Wing and told associates it wasn't her project, according to administration officials.
Media related toWhite House State Ballroom at Wikimedia Commons38°53′51.2″N77°2′8.4″W / 38.897556°N 77.035667°W /38.897556; -77.035667
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