10/21/2025

White House Begins Demolishing East Wing Facade to Build a Ballroom

The president had claimed construction wouldn’t ‘impact the existing structure

On Monday, during the ongoing government shutdown, demolition crews began tearing down part of the White House to build President Donald Trump's long-desired ballroom despite his pledge that construction of the $250 million addition would not "interfere" with the existing building.

Construction teams were demolishing a portion of the East Wing, with a backhoe ripping through the structure, according to a photo shared with The Washington Post and two people who witnessed the activity and spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe it.

A cluster of people, including Secret Service members, stood on the steps of the Treasury Department to watch the construction unfold, said one of the people. Sounds of construction were also audible on the White House campus, although the project was not easily visible to the public given fencing on the grounds.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.