The latest controversy coming out of the White House has nothing to do with policy matters and is in fact about construction.
President Donald Trump’s renovation of the East Wing began on Monday, sparking a mix of outrage, debate and historical facts.
The White House announced in July that it would be building the White House State Ballroom, calling it a “much-needed and exquisite addition.”
The ballroom is expected to be about 90,000 total square feet and cost about $200 million. As of Monday, an excavator was seen outside the White House tearing down parts of the East Wing. The East Wing has typically served as office space for the first lady and her staff.
Trump said in a post online Monday evening that he was pleased that ground had been broken to build the “big, beautiful White House Ballroom.” The president said that the project is coming at no cost to taxpayers and is privately funded by “many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and yours truly.” The White House has not disclosed who has donated the funds for the remodel.
Speaking to Republican senators gathered at the newly-remodeled Rose Garden on Tuesday, Trump said the sound of the construction was “music to my ears.”
“When I hear that sound, it reminds me of money. In this case it reminds me of lack of money because I’m paying for it so it’s the opposite,” he said, earning laughs from the senators.
The White House has moved forward with the construction project despite not having approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves major renovations on government buildings in Washington, D.C., The Associated Press noted.
Not everyone is pleased with the construction. Outrage online sparked after photos and videos circulated showing the dismantling of the East Wing. People wondered how and why Trump was able to go through with the construction project, with many calling him a “temporary occupant” of the White House but making permanent changes to the historical building.
According to CNN, the White House has noticed people are displeased with the images of the construction and has told staff at the Treasury Department, which is next door, to refrain from taking photos of the East Wing as it undergoes renovations.
The two-story East Wing was added to the White House in 1942 by Franklin D. Roosevelt and replaced the foundation from 1902. The ground floor includes the visitors’ entrance and the East Colonnade, which is a corridor that connects the East Wing with the Executive Residence. It overlooks the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden and also includes the President’s theater. The White House has suspended public tours of the building during construction.
Trump has insisted that presidents for the last 150 years have wanted a ballroom that could host larger events and said the current 200-person capacity in the East Room is not large enough.
It will be the biggest structural change to the White House since the 1948 construction of the Truman Balcony that overlooks the South Lawn and is expected to be larger than the White House itself, the AP reported.
Trump said in July that he was the “biggest fan” of the East Wing, and his ballroom will be “near it but not touching it” and will pay respect to the existing building. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, said East Wing offices would be temporarily relocated during construction, but said “nothing will be torn down.”
First lady Melania Trump’s staff was reportedly moving office belongings early last month in anticipation of the disruption, The New York Times reported.
The White House responded to the sharp criticism of the construction in a post online, calling it “FAKE OUTRAGE.” The administration said presidents have renovated and expanded the White House for more than 100 years and Trump’s project is “modernizing the wing while privately funding the project.”
A lot of FAKE OUTRAGE over construction of the big, beautiful (and privately funded) White House Ballroom.
FACT: Presidents have been renovating and expanding the White House for more than 100 years.
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt built the West Wing .
In 1909,… pic.twitter.com/p7opxjsNAm
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 20, 2025
