A demolition crew began tearing down the East Wing of the White House on Monday to make room for President Donald Trump’s gargantuan new ballroom, a 90,000-square-foot behemoth reported to cost $250 million.
Trump acknowledged the construction in a social media post.
“For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc.,” he wrote. “I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!”
The Trump administration downplayed the extent of the plans when they were first revealed in July, saying in a statement that the addition would be “substantially separated from the main building of the White House” and cost $200 million.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt simply said at the time that the East Wing was “going to be modernized,” while Trump claimed that the new event space would “pay total respect to the existing building.”
