White House Reacts to Outrage Over East Wing Demolition for Trump Ballroom

Newsweek ^ | 10/21/25 | Jenni Fink

[DallasBiff]

Construction crews began dismantling the East Wing on Monday, even as the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) has not granted approval for the ballroom itself. According to NPR, NCPC chairman Will Scharf — who is also a Trump aide — said at a September meeting that the commission lacks jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation, only the “vertical build.”

At an East Room event with the Louisiana State University baseball team, Trump acknowledged the noise from the construction happening “right behind us,” and added, “They wanted a ballroom for 150 years, and I’m giving that honor to this wonderful place.”

[Jamestown1630]

The Capitol is almost always under some kind of repair/renovation. Metal and stone parts are deteriorating in the DC weather, and it needs structural shoring up due to age.

[SunkenCiv]

Plus, the place was/is a swamp.

[Jamestown1630]

Yep. This time of year, we have some really nice weather. But Summer starts early and then we’re practically breathing swamp for months; and Winter can get almost arctic.

[Miami Rebel]

If you found the photograph, you probably found an article detailing the Truman renovation. If not, you can look up the extensive article in Wikipedia at “White House Reconstruction.”

That work and the current one are NOT parallel.

The 1949-1952 work took place because the Executive Residence was deemed unsafe for occupancy.

[Miami Rebel]

That $294 million figure has got to be a joke. Were marchers flown in from Gstaad and Tahiti??

[Miami Rebel]

It’s not a renovation, it’s a gutting.

“It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be,” Trump said during an executive order signing in July. “It’ll be near it but not touching it — and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of. It’s my favorite. It’s my favorite place. I love it.”