Trump's Controversial White House East Wing Demolition: Historic Structure Razed for $300 Million Ballroom Project

Trump initiated the East Wing demolition without prior notice on Monday

Washington:

The East Wing of the White House, the formal entryway where first ladies since Eleanor Roosevelt's era created history, organized state dinners and championed causes, has now been completely demolished. Satellite imagery from Thursday reveals that the entire East Wing structure has been razed, with debris accumulating where this historic section once stood.

The demolition occurred after President Donald Trump announced plans to replace the East Wing with a new ballroom nearly twice the White House's size, at an updated cost of $300 million.

Trump stated that preserving the East Wing would have "hurt a very, very expensive, beautiful building," referring to the planned ballroom that he claims presidents have desired for years. He asserted that he and "some friends of mine" would fund the ballroom construction without taxpayer expense.

Before (AFP)

The East Wing previously served as the entry point for public tours and events, including White House state dinners, holiday receptions, and presidential functions. Public tours were suspended in late summer in preparation for the ballroom construction.

Comparing recent satellite images with previous ones reveals the extensive scope of the demolition. The latest imagery shows that the entire two-storey structure of drawing rooms and offices, including the first lady's workspace and staff areas, has been reduced to rubble.

An excavator can be seen collecting debris in an area that formerly featured a portico. The colonnade connecting the Executive Residence to the East Wing has been almost entirely removed, with only a small section adjoining the Residence remaining intact.

After (AFP)

The wing was situated above an emergency bunker and encircled the first lady's garden, named after Jacqueline Kennedy. The garden has also been destroyed, while reports indicate the bunker will undergo upgrades as part of the renovation plan.

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The ballroom project was initially announced with a $200 million budget in July, which Trump revised to $250 million last week. On Thursday, the President estimated the cost "in the neighbourhood" of $300 million.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed the demolition and increasing costs to typical construction plan modifications.

"The plans changed when the president heard counsel from the architects and the construction companies who said that in order for this East Wing to be modern and beautiful for many, many years to come, for it to be a truly strong and stable structure, this phase one that we're now in was necessary, and the president wants to do right by the 'People's House,'" Leavitt explained during Thursday's press briefing.

Trump later announced that approximately $350 million had been raised for the project, though he remained noncommittal about his personal contribution.

ALSO READ: White House Tears Down Historic East Wing To Build Trump's Ballroom

"I won't be able to tell you until I finish," he told reporters, "but I'll donate whatever is needed."

The White House has defended against criticism of the ballroom plan and East Wing demolition by highlighting the Executive Mansion's history of additions throughout its 200-plus years. Trump's aides argue that the president's plan follows this historical precedent, despite the proposed ballroom being the largest modification ever made to the White House.

AFP

Trump permitted the East Wing demolition to begin without warning on Monday, despite lacking approval from relevant government agencies with jurisdiction over federal building construction.

Preservationists urged the Trump administration to halt the demolition, for which approval was not required according to Leavitt's Thursday statement, until plans for the 90,000-square-foot (8,361-square-meter) ballroom could undergo the mandatory public review process.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation stated that the review process, including public comment, would "provide a crucial opportunity for transparency and broad engagement - values that have guided preservation of the White House under every administration going back to the public competition in 1792 that produced the building's original design."

AFP

In correspondence to the National Capital Planning Commission, National Park Service, and Commission of Fine Arts, the Trust expressed concern that the proposed ballroom's size would overwhelm the Executive Mansion, which measures 55,000 square feet (5,109 square meters), "and may permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House."

Both commissions have authority over White House modifications. The Park Service manages the White House grounds and participates in the process, as several South Lawn trees have been removed during construction. Both agencies are currently inactive due to the government shutdown. Trump appointed top aide Will Scharf as chairman of the planning commission.

The National Park Service stated in August, following the White House's ballroom project announcement, that it had provided historic preservation guidance and support as part of a broader consultation process. It confirmed that final decisions rest with the Executive Office of the President.