Crews Begin East Wing Demolition for Trump Ballroom

Crews have begun tearing down the White House’s East Wing, and officials say the entire section could be demolished within days as part of President Trump’s privately funded ballroom project. Trump has shown Oval Office renderings of a roughly 90,000-square-foot ballroom estimated at about $250–$300 million, which he says will be paid for by him and private donors and requires removing the “existing structure.” The demolition began with little public notice and obstructive fencing while plans have not been formally submitted to or approved by the National Capital Planning Commission and other review bodies, raising legal and regulatory questions. Preservationists, architectural historians, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and critics including former first lady Hillary Clinton have condemned the move as an irreversible alteration of a historic site and demanded a halt for review. The administration defends the project as necessary for security, technology and modernization and has cited military involvement, but opponents say public oversight has been bypassed.