Satellite images released Friday revealed the scale of demolition underway at the White House, where construction has begun on a massive new ballroom. The images, compared with earlier footage, show that the entire East Wing—traditionally home to the first lady’s offices—has been completely torn down, leaving piles of concrete debris in its place.
President Donald Trump confirmed reports that the demolition will extend to the entire East Wing to make room for the new ballroom. The statement contradicted his earlier assurances in July that the wing would remain intact and that the ballroom would be built adjacent to it.
Trump also said the cost of the privately funded project had risen to about $300 million, up from the previously announced $250 million.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged Thursday that the project’s scope had expanded over time. She urged Americans to “trust the process,” saying the administration has acted transparently.
Demolition at the White House
(Video: Reuters)
“Right after the plan was finalized, the president instructed me to share it with everyone,” Leavitt told reporters. “I even wrote a full introduction explaining how the ballroom project would unfold. But, like any major construction project, plans evolve. We’ll keep updating you as they do.”
Speaking at the White House late Wednesday, Trump defended the decision to raze the existing structure. “To do it right, we had to remove the entire building,” he said. Although he had previously described the East Wing as a “beautiful and historic” part of the residence, Trump now downplayed its significance. “No one ever really thought of it as something great,” he said. “It was actually a very small building.”
Administration officials told The New York Times that after Trump’s earlier promise to preserve the East Wing, a reassessment found that tearing it down entirely would be cheaper and “structurally more stable” than adding a ballroom to it.
Democrats slam the project: “A ballroom fit for Marie Antoinette”
Demolition began Monday, but the full extent of the damage only became clear after the satellite images were released. Critics accused Trump of destroying a site of historical importance.
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland called it “another example of the president’s authoritarian and capricious tendencies.” He added, “During the War of 1812, British forces burned the White House to the ground. Now Trump, who sees himself as a king, is doing the dirty work himself—tearing apart the people’s house to build a garish ballroom for billionaires and CEOs, while Americans struggle under inflation and tariffs.”
Raskin’s reference to “billionaire parties” alluded to the fact that the ballroom’s construction is being financed by private donors, including major tech companies.
The White House dismissed the criticism as “manufactured outrage” fueled by “radical leftists and their allies in the fake news media.” Officials also rejected claims that the project lacked transparency, despite reports that demolition began without the required review from a federal commission overseeing public building projects.
An administration source told NBC that the White House believes such approval is only needed for the ballroom’s future construction, not for the demolition itself, and that the presidential residence is not legally bound by the commission’s procedures.
Even so, the White House reportedly plans to submit the ballroom’s final design—personally overseen by Trump—to the same commission later. The body is chaired by Trump ally Will Scharf, who also serves as White House staff secretary and has frequently appeared alongside the president, reading out executive orders during signing ceremonies in the Oval Office.