Trump Demolishes East Wing for Private Ballroom

President Donald Trump has begun demolition of the White House East Wing to make way for a privately funded, planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Satellite imagery and onsite photos show substantial damage as crews remove portions of the historic 1902 building. The project’s estimated cost has risen to roughly $300 million, and the Trust for the National Mall is managing nearly $200 million in pledged contributions from wealthy individuals and major corporations, with donors the White House has listed including Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, T‑Mobile and Union Pacific; the administration says no taxpayer money will be used and fundraising continues while Trump has offered to donate as needed. Preservation groups, architects and some former officials have urged a halt and formal review, saying required public-review processes were not completed before work began. The Department of the Interior is handling rubble removal, and the White House has defended the work as routine presidential alteration and posted a historical timeline to justify renovations.