Construction on President Trump’s $250 million ballroom addition to the White House began this week, with construction crews beginning to tear down the facade of the east wing where the new space is being built.
The Republican president and White House officials initially said nothing would be demolished during construction.
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom is about twice the size and smaller of the main White House building itself, and Trump has said it can accommodate 999 people.
President Trump said on social media that the banquet hall will not cost taxpayers a dime because it is privately funded by “many generous patriots, great American businesses, and truly all of you.”
Here’s what you need to know about the latest White House construction project.
Why is President Trump building a banquet hall?
President Trump has said the White House needs more entertainment space and has complained that the East Room, currently the largest space in the White House, is too small to accommodate about 200 people. He frowns on the past practice of presidents hosting state dinners and other large events in tents on the South Lawn.
Who is paying for the $250 million construction cost?
President Trump said the project would be paid for through private donations and no public funds would be spent on the banquet hall. The White House has promised to release information about which individuals and companies have pledged or donated funds and invited some donors to an East Room dinner last week, but has not released a comprehensive list and breakdown of the funds.
The project was paid about $22 million by Google subsidiary YouTube as part of a recent settlement with President Trump.
The White House has not disclosed how much of President Trump’s personal funds he is donating.
Why is it necessary to demolish part of the east building and build a banquet hall?
The East Wing is traditionally the social side of the White House and is located across East Executive Avenue from the Treasury Department. This is where tourists and other guests enter for events.
The president and his chief press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, said the White House itself would remain intact while the ballroom flourished over the summer.
President Trump said, “I’ll be close, but I won’t touch you.” “Nothing will be demolished,” Levitt added.
It turns out that’s not the case.
The White House said some demolition is necessary as the East Wing, the traditional residence of the first lady and her staff, is being modernized as part of the ballroom project.
Can President Trump build a banquet hall?
He is proceeding with the construction despite lacking approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, the executive branch that oversees construction and major renovations of government buildings in the region.
President Trump nominated Will Schaaf, a senior White House aide, to chair the committee. Schaaf distinguished between demolition work and reconstruction, saying the commission is only required to scrutinize the latter.
What will happen to the east room?
At President Trump’s direction, the space will be a space for guests to mingle, drink cocktails and eat hors d’oeuvres before being called to the ballroom for dinner. President Trump said some of the windows in the room would be removed to create a passageway in and out of the banquet hall.
What will the new ballroom look like?
Renderings released by the White House suggest it closely resembles the golden ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump’s private club and home in Palm Beach, Florida.
He said at a recent White House donor dinner that the project has also grown in size since its announcement, going from seating 650 to 999 people, making it large enough to host an inauguration if needed. The windows would be bulletproof, he said.
When will the ballroom be completed?
The White House has said the ballroom will be ready for use by the end of President Trump’s second term in January 2029, an ambitious timeline.
Has President Trump made other changes to the White House?
yes. He significantly renovated the Oval Office by adding numerous portraits, busts, and gilded ornaments. He converted the rose garden into a stone-covered patio, installed towering flagpoles on the north and south lawns, and adorned the exterior walls with portraits of every president except his immediate predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump also said he renovated the bathroom in his private residence’s famous Lincoln Bedroom and installed marble floors in the hallway leading to the South Lawn.
How has construction changed the White House over the years?
Presidents have added to the White House for a variety of reasons since construction began in 1792, and Trump’s aides have said of the president’s decision:
According to , many previous projects were criticized for being too expensive or too extravagant, but eventually gained acceptance.
Thomas Jefferson added east and west colonnades.
Andrew Jackson built the north portico on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House to line up with the south portico that James Monroe added after the original mansion was rebuilt after British troops burned it during the War of 1812.
Theodore Roosevelt added the West Wing to provide dedicated space for the President and key staff, and Franklin D. Roosevelt added the East Wing, which over time became home to the first lady’s staff and social events.
One of the most important renovations to the White House took place during the administration of Harry Truman, when the mansion’s structure was found to be so unsound that Truman ordered a complete demolition of the interior, which lasted from 1948 to 1952. This project, which involved Truman adding a balcony to the second floor of the south portico, was highly controversial.
Other changes include the creation of the Rose Garden during the John F. Kennedy administration and President Richard Nixon’s decision to convert an indoor swimming pool built for FDR’s physical therapy into a workshop for the growing White House press corps.
Superville writes for The Associated Press.
