Demolition crews tore into a part of the White House on Monday as part of President Trump's ballroom project. Heavy machinery was spotted taking down a portion of the East Wing, with Secret Service members and others watching from nearby, reports the Washington Post. The sounds of construction echoed across the White House grounds, marking the start of what Trump has called a "90,000-square-foot structure" that will nearly double the square footage of the main residence and its two wings.
Trump had previously promised that the new $250 million addition would "pay total respect" to the White House and "not interfere" with the existing building. "It's my favorite place. I love it," he said during a July executive order signing. Officials said, however, that the ballroom will replace the East Wing, which was originally built in 1902 and has seen multiple renovations over the years. The Trump-appointed chair of the National Capital Planning Commission said last month that demolition at the White House does not require the approval of the panel.
The East Wing, historically home to the first lady's offices, is being sacrificed, at least in part, for what Trump describes as a much-needed venue to host larger gatherings. He say the project is fully funded, citing donations of up to $25 million from corporate giants like Apple, Amazon, and Lockheed Martin. Trump's new ballroom, inspired by the one at Mar-a-Lago, is expected to seat 650 people—more than three times the capacity of the current East Room. Trump has complained that previous administrations rejected his offers to build a ballroom.
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Trump hosted a dinner last week for ballroom donors and unveiled plans for another project, an arc resembling Paris' Arc de Triomphe. He said the "brutal process" of getting permits is a lot easier as president than it was when he was a developer in New York City. "So over here, I said, 'How long will it take me?'" he recounted. "'Sir, this is the White House. You're the president of the United States. You can do anything you want.' So, with that came great responsibility, and we did something that was really appropriate to the White House."
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