The White House begins demolition of part of the East Wing

The White House on Monday began demolishing part of the East Wing, the first lady’s traditional base of operations, to build a $250 million President Trump Ballroom despite not receiving construction approval from the federal agency that oversees such projects.

Dramatic images of the demolition work showed construction equipment being torn apart from the facade of the east wing and windows and other parts of the building lying in tatters on the ground. Some reporters watched what happened from a park near the Treasury Department, next to the East Wing.

Trump announced the start of construction in a social media post and referenced the work while hosting the 2025 college baseball champions Louisiana State University and LSU-Shreveport in the East Room. He noted that action was happening "Right behind us."

"We have a lot of construction work going on, which you may hear periodically," He said adding "I just started today."

The White House has moved forward with the massive construction project despite not yet receiving approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves major construction and renovations of government buildings in the Washington area.

Its head, Will Scharf, who is also White House staff secretary and a top Trump aide, said at a committee meeting in September that the agency had no jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation for buildings on federal property.

"What we’re dealing with is basically construction, vertical construction," Scharf said last month.

It was not clear whether the White House had submitted plans for the hall for review and approval by the agency. The White House did not respond to a request for comment, and the committee’s offices were closed due to the government shutdown.

The Republican president said in July, when the project was announced, that the hall would not interfere with the palace itself.

"It will be near it but without touching it, and I pay my full respect to the current building, of which I am a great admirer." He said about the White House.

The east wing houses several offices, including those of the First Lady. It was built in 1902 and was renovated over the years, with a second floor added in 1942, according to the White House.

White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt said the East Wing offices will be temporarily relocated during construction and that wing of the building will be updated and renovated.

"Nothing will be demolished," Leavitt said when she announced the project in July.

Trump insists that presidents have wanted such a room for 150 years, and that he is adding a massive 90,000-square-foot glass-walled space because the East Room, the largest room in the White House and seating about 200 people, is too small. He also said he didn’t like the idea of ​​hosting kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers in suites on the South Lawn.

Trump said in an announcement on social media that the project will be completed "At no cost to American taxpayers! The White House Auditorium is privately funded by many generous patriots, major American corporations, and yours truly."

The ballroom will be the largest structural change to the Executive Mansion since the Truman Balcony overlooking the South Lawn was added in 1948, dwarfing the property itself.

At a dinner he hosted last week for some wealthy businessmen who donated money to cover the $250 million construction cost, Trump said the size of the project had increased and would now accommodate 999 people. Capacity was 650 people in the July announcement.

The White House said it would reveal information about who contributed money to build the hall, but it has not done so yet.

Trump also said at an event last week that the president of Carrier Global Corp., a leading manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, had offered to donate an air conditioning system for the ballroom.

Carrier confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that it had done so. A cost estimate was not immediately available.

"Carrier is honored to provide the iconic new White House Ballroom with a world-class, energy-efficient HVAC system, providing comfort to guests and dignitaries in this historic venue for years to come." The company said in an email statement.

Tree removal on the southern grounds and other site preparation work began in September. Plans call for the hall to be ready before Trump’s term ends in January 2029.

Copyright 2025, NPR