Trump Begins Building $250 Million White House Ballroom Without Full Approval

The White House began tearing down part of its East Wing — where the first lady’s offices are — to start building President Trump’s new $250 million ballroom, even though the project hasn’t yet been officially approved by the federal agency that oversees government construction.

President Trump has said he wants to build a “beautiful ballroom like I have at Mar-a-Lago.” Photos taken on Monday showed heavy construction machines breaking into the East Wing’s walls and windows, leaving rubble scattered on the ground. Reporters nearby watched the demolition from Lafayette Park.

Trump announced the start of construction on social media and mentioned it during an event honoring the 2025 college baseball champions, Louisiana State University and LSU-Shreveport, in the East Room. “We have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically,” Trump said. “It just started today.”

(Mollenkamp)

Approval Questions

The White House went ahead with the project even though it hasn’t received approval from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the agency that must review and approve large federal construction projects in Washington, D.C. However, Will Scharf, the NCPC chairman and also a senior Trump aide, said the agency only reviews the main building phase, not demolition or site preparation. It’s unclear whether the ballroom plans have been officially submitted for review. The White House has not commented, and the NCPC is currently closed because of the government shutdown.

(Superville)

About the Project

Trump said the ballroom won’t affect the main White House building: “It’ll be near it but not touching it, and it pays total respect to the existing building,” he said in July. The East Wing, first built in 1902 and expanded in 1942, contains offices for the first lady and her staff. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said these offices will be temporarily moved while the area is modernized. The new ballroom is planned to be 90,000 square feet and cost about $200–250 million. Despite earlier promises that “nothing will be torn down,” parts of the East Wing are now being demolished. Trump claims that presidents have wanted a proper ballroom for 150 years and that the current East Room, which holds about 200 people, is too small for state events. The new glass-walled ballroom will host up to 999 guests and eliminate the need for outdoor tents during large events.

Funding and Donations

Trump said the ballroom will be privately funded, with “no cost to taxpayers.” Donations are coming from “patriotic Americans, great companies,” and Trump himself. The White House has promised to share a list of donors but hasn’t yet done. At a recent dinner with donors, Trump announced that Carrier Global Corp., a major air-conditioning manufacturer, will donate the ballroom’s HVAC system. The company confirmed this, saying it was proud to provide an “energy-efficient system” for the new facility. Tree clearing and other preparation work began in September, and the White House plans to finish the ballroom before January 2029, when Trump’s current term ends.