The demolition has begun. Marble dust now floats where history once stood, as construction crews rip through the East Wing of the White House — to make way for President Donald Trump’s newest and grandest self-tribute: a $250 million ballroom.
Trump calls it a “long-overdue modernisation.” Preservationists call it what it looks like: a gilded vanity project tearing into the bones of America’s most sacred residence.
On Monday, workers tore down parts of the East Wing’s covered entryway and windows, shattering a century of architecture to make room for what Trump describes as a “much-needed” entertainment space.
“For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a ballroom at the White House,” he boasted online. “Now I’m making it happen.”
As usual, Trump isn’t wrong — just profoundly self-serving.
The billionaire who came to build a ballroom
The president insists the project is being funded by “generous Patriots,” though, unsurprisingly, he won’t name them. That omission hasn’t stopped Washington from speculating whether those “patriots” might be seeking something more tangible than an invite to the first gala.
Trump has promised the ballroom won’t “interfere” with the White House structure — “It won’t touch it,” he said in July, with the confidence of a man who’s never let architectural plans get in his way. Yet from the South Lawn, bulldozers now squat where dignitaries once stepped out of limousines.
Preservationists horrified, Trump unbothered
“There’s always controversy when the White House goes under construction,” said Robert K. Sutton, former chief historian of the National Park Service. “But this one? This is something else. This is a president who treats the People’s House like a personal property listing.”
The National Park Service, which normally oversees every nail hammered into the historic mansion, says it hasn’t conducted the usual design review. But Trump doesn’t seem worried. Oversight has never been part of his brand.
Renderings suggest the ballroom will seat up to 900 guests beneath colossal gold chandeliers — a space more suited to a casino opening than a state dinner. One insider described the early plans as “Mar-a-Lago on steroids.”
“The most beautiful ballroom in the world”
Architect Jim McCrery, leading the design, says he is “honoured” to help Trump “preserve the elegance” of the White House. The irony was apparently lost on him, as excavators chewed through the East Wing’s original stonework.
Historians, meanwhile, are aghast. The Society of Architectural Historians called the project “a reckless alteration to a building that belongs to the American people.” The American Institute of Architects demanded transparency — a word not often associated with this administration.
“This will be the first major change to the White House exterior in 83 years,” one historian noted. “And it’s happening because the president wanted a party room.”
The golden touch — and everything it destroys
Trump’s ballroom is the latest in a series of aesthetic makeovers that have slowly transformed the White House into an extension of his personal empire. The Oval Office now gleams with gold drapery; the Rose Garden’s grass has been replaced with concrete patios.
Critics say he’s turning the People’s House into a private resort. Supporters say it’s about time the White House looked “more presidential” — which, in Trumpian terms, means more expensive, more ostentatious, and more self-congratulatory.
History, meet hubris
Other presidents left fingerprints on the mansion; Trump is leaving claw marks. Obama added a basketball court. Nixon created the Press Room. Truman rebuilt the interior from the ground up. Each project served a purpose, rooted in the function and dignity of the office.
Trump’s ballroom serves only one: spectacle.
“The White House has always been called the People’s House,” said Sutton. “Now it’s starting to look like Trump Tower South.”
If past presidents renovated for posterity, Trump renovates for applause — and preferably under a crystal chandelier with his name engraved somewhere near the ceiling.
Because for Donald Trump, even the White House isn’t grand enough until it has a ballroom worthy of a coronation.
Source: BBC