Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Oct 26: Construction has officially begun on the Trump administration’s highly controversial White House ballroom, a lavish project expected to cost up to $300 million and already drawing widespread attention.
The new 90,000-square-foot, glass-walled ballroom is designed to “pay total respect to the existing building,” according to President Donald Trump and senior White House officials. However, crews were seen tearing into the East Wing’s facade on Monday, and by Wednesday, the East Wing had reportedly been demolished, as confirmed by the Associated Press.
Trump has defended the project, citing the need for a larger venue to host guests. He has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the East Room, the White House’s largest existing space, which accommodates only around 200 people. Renderings of the new ballroom show a design reminiscent of the gilded Mar-a-Lago ballroom in Florida. The proposed structure will nearly double the size of the main residence and accommodate up to 999 people, with bulletproof windows and the capacity to host a presidential inauguration if needed.
The White House has stated that the ballroom will be completed before the end of Trump’s current term in January 2029. The project cost has escalated from an initial estimate of $200 million to $300 million as construction plans expanded. Trump has insisted the entire venture will be privately funded, involving contributions from “many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.”
A list of donors includes tech giants like Google and Amazon, defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Palantir, and Booz Allen Hamilton, as well as personal contributions from billionaires including Blackstone CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman and casino magnate Miriam Adelson. Approximately $22 million is expected from a legal settlement paid by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, following Trump’s lawsuit over his YouTube channel suspension after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
The White House ballroom is not the first major modification to the historic residence. Past presidents have expanded and renovated the property since its construction in 1792. Notable additions include the West Wing under Theodore Roosevelt, the East Wing under Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the Rose Garden during John F. Kennedy’s tenure. Perhaps the most significant overhaul came during Harry Truman’s administration in 1948, when the mansion was gutted due to structural instability and a balcony was added to the second floor.
With construction underway, the Trump White House ballroom promises to become one of the most extravagant additions in modern White House history, combining opulence, scale, and private funding amidst significant public scrutiny.