White House confirms demolition of entire East Wing to build new ballroom
The Trump administration has confirmed that the entire East Wing of the White House will be demolished to make way for a new ballroom, a decision that has drawn criticism and raised questions about federal oversight.
Demolition workers began work on October 21 in the East Wing, where the first lady and her staff are located, but the full extent of the demolition was not confirmed until October 22, according to Reuters.
“In order to do it right, we have to take down the existing structure,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on October 22. An administration official said the demolition process could be completed within the next two weeks. “We can confirm that the entire East Wing will be modernized and renovated to… support the ballroom project,” the official said.
The partial demolition of one of the most historic buildings in the United States has drawn criticism from many Democrats and historians. The most recent version of the East Wing was built in 1942 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. While US presidents have made renovations and additions to the White House throughout history, Mr. Trump’s changes are considered the biggest in decades.
The White House has responded to the criticism, calling it a "manufactured outrage".
One area of contention is whether the Trump administration followed oversight procedures. On October 21, the White House announced it would submit plans for the ballroom for review by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) — even though demolition had already begun.
Notably, the chairman of the NCPC is Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary and an aide to Mr. Trump.
In a statement to Reuters, Mr. Scharf said he was not involved in the "planning process" for the White House ballroom and would be "objective" when the plan came before the committee.
“Do I have the ability to vote, as an NCPC commissioner, separate from my duties at the White House? Yes, absolutely. If I don’t like a project, I will vote against it,” Mr. Scharf said.
Mr. Scharf also said that the NCPC is responsible for overseeing construction, not demolition. However, Bryan Green, a former NCPC commissioner under President Joe Biden, said that demolition and new construction must be closely linked and considered as part of the entire project.
President Trump said on October 22 that the project would cost $300 million, up from the $200 million price tag initially announced in July.
He confirmed he and private donors are paying for the ballroom, but has yet to release full financial details.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation on October 21 asked the Trump administration to halt demolition until the NCPC completes its review. The organization expressed concern that the proposed 8,360-square-foot ballroom2"will overwhelm the White House itself."
However, efforts to stop the project may be difficult because much of the East Wing has already been demolished.
