Demolition has kicked off at the White House East Wing as President Trump pushes forward with a jaw-dropping $250 million ballroom that promises to redefine presidential opulence.
The New York Post reported that on Monday, the East Wing began its dramatic transformation to house this ambitious project, inspired by Trump’s own Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
Photos circulating in the press reveal a stark scene: the once-welcoming tour entrance is gone, and windows facing the Treasury Department are shattered, barely clinging to their frames.
Video footage captures a hulking demolition machine tearing through rubble, with a hose spraying water to keep the dust at bay—a gritty reminder of the scale of this overhaul.
The upper-floor calligraphy office, a quaint piece of White House history, now sports a gaping hole, while several trees have been felled to clear space for an extension southward.
A bulldozer was spotted on Monday, grinding through the East Wing, which has stood in its current form since 1942, atop a bomb shelter and housing the first lady’s offices.
President Trump, never one to shy away from bold moves, is extending the East Wing to make room for a ballroom that dwarfs the current East Room, which can seat about 200 or squeeze in more for standing-room events.
“We’re gonna have a phenomenal ballroom, this is gonna be one of the best anywhere in the world,” Trump boasted to donors last week, setting the tone for a project that’s anything but subtle.
With all due respect to the man’s enthusiasm, one wonders if a quarter-billion-dollar dance floor is the best use of resources when so many Americans are tightening their belts—but hey, it’s his house, his rules.
Trump’s vision draws directly from the gold-gilded ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, a venue known for hosting major events, including his latest campaign launch, and now set to inspire a White House rival.
“And it’s four sides of glass, beautiful glass, but totally appropriate in color and in window shape, and everything else with the White House,” Trump added, painting a picture of elegance that’s hard to argue with aesthetically.
Still, while glass walls sound stunning, let’s hope they come with reinforced security—after all, this isn’t just a party pad, it’s the heart of our nation’s leadership.
This ballroom project isn’t a standalone endeavor; Trump’s second term has already seen more White House renovations than his first, from gold-leafed Oval Office updates to paving over the Rose Garden with white stone.
Other changes include towering flagpoles on the lawns, a revamped Lincoln Bedroom bathroom, a re-marbled Palm Room, and even a “Presidential Walk of Fame” along the West Wing Colonnade—moves that signal a leader intent on leaving a physical legacy.
While some may grumble about tradition being bulldozed alongside the East Wing, there’s something to be said for a president who isn’t afraid to shake things up, even if it means navigating public tours through the North Portico, as seen during one of the last ones on Friday, August 22, 2025.