(NewsNation) — Construction has begun on the $250 million ballroom President Donald Trump is adding to the White House, and questions are being raised about the project after demolition began on the East Wing.
Earlier this year, Trump said the addition would not interfere with the current layout of the White House, but things have changed. Now, the organization that supports the preservation of America’s historic buildings is demanding an immediate halt to the project.
What is Trump’s plan for a ballroom?
The president’s plan is to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom that will hold nearly 1,000 people. It will be constructed where the East Wing, traditionally where the first lady has offices, sits now.
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Renderings of the ballroom show a large space decorated in Trump’s signature style, including large amounts of gilding in gold.
A rendering shows the interior of the proposed White House ballroom. (White House)
Trump has expressed distaste at the current practice, where large events are held on the lawn with tents constructed for bad weather to accommodate the number of guests.
How much will the ballroom cost?
The construction of the ballroom is projected to cost around $250 million.
The White House says this is a privately funded project, with the money coming from private donors and Trump himself, something he joked about at a Rose Garden event yesterday, as he mentioned that guests could hear the sound of construction.
“I think when I hear that sound, it reminds me of money,” Trump said. “In this case, it reminds me of lack of money, because I’m paying for it.”
The White House released a rendering of the ballroom. (White House)
The official amount Trump is paying has not been announced. It’s not clear who the donors are, though the White House says it will release a list of donors.
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Ethics experts have raised concerns that it amounts to a “pay to play” scheme where donors who contribute will get more access to the president.
Why are people criticizing the plan?
The project has drawn criticism from a number of historical groups. They point out that, unlike past renovations, the White House did not seek approval from outside groups or go through a public design or consulting process.
Edward Lengel, former chief historian for the White House Historical Association, told NewsNation that he doesn’t think the design is in keeping with the ideals and visions the Founding Fathers had for the people’s house.
“I think they would have been appalled by this. Jefferson in particular would have lost his mind over this,” Lengel said. “Washington, I think, also would have been deeply disappointed, because I think it is the wrong idea.”
This photo provided by the U.S. Library of Congress shows the East entrance of the White House, Washington, in 1906. (U.S. Library of Congress via AP)
The White House has not been swayed by critics and pushed back in a recent statement.
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“In the latest instance of manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their fake news allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J Trump’s visionary edition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House,” the statement said.
Have there been other renovations to the White House?
The White House has been renovated by presidents before. In 1902, under President Theodore Roosevelt, the building underwent a modernization process.
The East Wing itself was added in 1942 to conceal a bunker that became the Presidential Emergency Operations Center. The wing eventually became home to the first lady’s offices.
FILE – Liz Carpenter, press secretary and staff director for first lady Lady Bird Johnson, poses for a photo in her office in the East Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., Dec. 9, 1963. On the walls are her Theta Sigma Phi Headliner Award and two photos of Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson. (AP Photo/Harvey Georges, File)
In 1952, Harry Truman gutted and rebuilt parts of the interior of the building because it was found to be structurally weak and in danger of collapse.
First lady Jaqueline Kennedy’s renovations in 1961 turned the residence into a historic showcase of presidential history, and in 1979, President Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the roof to be more environmentally friendly. (They were removed by President Ronald Reagan and then reinstalled by President George W. Bush.)
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This is the latest in a number of renovations Trump has made to the White House this term. He has paved over the grass in the Rose Garden designed by first lady Jackie Kennedy, installed two flagpoles on the White House lawn and added gold accents to the Oval Office as well.
Is Trump allowed to renovate the White House to this extent?
The White House has not yet submitted plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves and monitors work on federal buildings.
The Trump administration says it is only required to submit plans for construction, not demolition, which began this week.
Work continues on the demolition of a part of the East Wing of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Washington, before construction of a new ballroom. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
The National Trust for Historic Preservation disagrees and says the White House is legally required to go through public review to do the demolition and needs to halt the project until that happens.
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“We respectfully urge the administration and the National Park Service to pause demolition until plans for the proposed ballroom go through the legally required public review process. These processes provide an essential opportunity for transparency and public engagement,” the group said in a statement.
The group also mentioned concerns that the size of the new ballroom will overwhelm the current White House and that it conflicts with the current classical structure of the building.
