Donald Trump has been vocal about the ‘bold, necessary addition’ of a ballroom to the White House, and recent satellite images reveal the significant changes made to the historic East Wing under his leadership.
After resuming his role as President in January, Trump quickly made the White House his own, redecorating the Oval Office with gold accents and adding new portraits throughout the residence.
Among his most notable renovations is the addition of a ‘grand’ ballroom, which the White House recently highlighted as ‘a transformative addition that will significantly increase the White House’s capacity to host major functions honoring world leaders, foreign nations, and other dignitaries’.
In creating space for the new ballroom, Trump ordered the demolition of the entire East Wing, a structure he considered lacking significance.
The East Wing, constructed in 1902 during President Theodore Roosevelt’s administration as a carriage entrance, evolved into its modern form under President Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940s. It served to conceal an underground bunker built during World War II.
Images captured by satellite illustrate a vast cleared space following the East Wing demolition, with some trees also being removed.
As reported by ABC 7, two of the uprooted trees were planted in memory of former presidents Warren Harding and Franklin Roosevelt.
The planned ballroom is to span approximately 90,000 square feet, surpassing the size of the White House itself.
This decision has ignited debate among Americans. According to a Yahoo/YouGov poll, 61 percent of respondents oppose the president’s ballroom project.
Meanwhile, only 25 percent of those surveyed supported the initiative.
In defense of the changes, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked that ‘nearly every single president who has lived in this beautiful White House … has made modernizations and renovations of their own’.
Trump reassured critics that the new structure would not interfere with the main building, stating: “It won’t interfere with the current building. It will be near it but not touching it. And pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.”
Regarding the funding of this $300,000,000 project, Trump indicated it would be financed through private donations rather than public money.