Trump to demolish entire East Wing of White House for ballroom: NYT

[riversedge]

Source: cnbc.com



Published Wed, Oct 22 202511:55 AM EDT Updated 5 Min Ago

Spencer Kimball

Key Points

The entire East Wing of the White House will be knocked down for President Donald Trump’s ballroom project, a senior administration official told The New York Times.
YouTube parent Alphabet will contribute $22 million to the construction of a new ballroom in the East Wing of the White House.
The payment comes from a legal settlement with President Donald Trump last month.

The White House will demolish the entire East Wing to make room for the new ballroom that is being built at the behest of President Donald Trump, a senior administration official told The New York Times on Wednesday.

The demolition work should be completed by this weekend, the official told the Times.

Images showing the demolition of part of the East Wing triggered public anger this week. The demolition work has raised questions about who is footing the bill for the planned $250 million, 90,000-square-foot building.

Tech giant Alphabet is contributing $22 million to help build the White House ballroom under a legal settlement reached with Trump last month over his being banned from the company’s YouTube platform after the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot by his supporters........................



Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/trump-white-house-ballroom-east-wing-demolition-youtube.html

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Link to tweet

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[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Trump is demolishing the entire East Wing to make way for his White House ballroom.

Live
Updated
Oct. 22, 2025, 4:11 p.m. ET 6 minutes ago

Trump Administration Live Updates: White House Changes Course and Will Demolish Entire East Wing


The East Wing of the White House on Wednesday. Alex Kent for The New York Times

Where Things Stand
White House demolition: President Trump’s plan to add an expansive ballroom to the White House will mean the demolition of the entire East Wing, which was expected to be fully torn down by this weekend, according to a senior administration official. Mr. Trump had pledged that the East Wing would not be touched by the construction, one of the largest renovations to the building in decades even before the change in plans. Read more ›

Oct. 22, 2025, 3:13 p.m. ET 1 hour ago
Luke Broadwater is a White House correspondent. He reported from the West Wing.

Trump is demolishing the entire East Wing to make way for his White House ballroom.


Demolition of the East Wing of the White House continued on Wednesday. Alex Kent for The New York Times

The White House is demolishing the entirety of the East Wing to make way for President Trump’s $200 million ballroom, a construction project that is far more extensive than he initially let on, a senior administration official said on Wednesday. ... The tear-down should be finished by this weekend, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the plans.

When Mr. Trump first announced his plans for the ballroom, he pledged that the East Wing wouldn’t be touched by the construction. ... “It’ll be views of the Washington Monument. It won’t interfere with the current building. It’ll be near it but not touching it,” the president said. “And pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.”

But, upon further evaluation, the White House determined it was cheaper and more structurally sound to demolish the East Wing to construct the ballroom, rather than build an addition, the official said. ... The new structure will also have enhanced security features, the official said.

Mr. Trump is raising tens of millions in private donations to fund the project, the official said. The president plans to contribute some of his own money as well, though the amount has not been determined, the official added.

[riversedge]

7. I do not believe it is a change of plans, as it was Trumps plan all along.

[William Seger]

11. I think so too, at least since he decided he needed it to be bigger

At first, he was talking about capacity for 650, I think, then it was reported that he had upped it to 900.

[William Seger]

10. "Mr. Trump had pledged ..." ain't worth shit about anything. (nt)

[popsdenver]

25. Yea............

SURPRISE, FUCKING SURPRISE...........THE MAGAot voters will never learn.............

I would love to see the blue prints, and look at the plan, and what date the blueprints were done.......

The construction costs, furnishings, and decorating costs will be paid by Corporations that he has blackmailed and extorted the money from....
the list is already being revealed.....And it's cost is certain to far exceed the 200 million originally disclosed, which has grown in the first week to 250 Million........

The costs for his dinner guests and dinners will be on the taxpayers, the donations to his "personal" PAC will be by his Uber Rich Donors and Republican Politicians........(probably 1,000 to 5,000 dollars a plate) And I am sure that massive ball room will seat 800-1000 people for dinner......

[William Seger]

39. The most transactional president in history wants Other People's Money to build himself a monument

... that certainly was decreed from the outset to be much bigger than the White House itself, so the Trump Royal Ballroom would become the forced centerpiece of any White House images. Just like his jet needs to match his ridiculously bloated ego, courtesy of "donors." And soon the tributes to pay for the Arc de Trump, and god knows what after that.

But we might at least get to know what Other People's Money is buying, since he seems to be completely unconcerned about blatant corruption.

[popsdenver]

43. And,

Just tonight WS.......Lard ass is saying cost is NOW 300 Million.............Him saying it will be his money, AND donations, opens the door to him grifting a TON of money due to being commingled dollars. All part of the plan, I am sure........The money coming from Corporations is extortion not to attack them.............

WASF...........I am not sure how anyone could not be saying: Game Over., they are the BORG........Resistance Is Futile

2025 and Steven Miller are marching forward daily, step by step, with seemingly nothing and no one to stop them.......Like it is Checkmate.........

The Uber Rich 1% and Corporations...............I can't help but think any day, the USA will be renamed The United Corporations of America....

He wants to be called the "PEACE" president, but he is doing everything possible to start a war with Venezuela for their Oil Reserves.......
He continues to arm Netanyahu with everything he needs to obliterate everyone in Gaza......
Etc Etc Etc.....

[William Seger]

44. The United Corporations of America

The United Corporations of America would pay homage to Mussolini's corporatism (a.k.a. fascism)

[Bayard]

22. More structurally sound?

What architect did he have to pay off to say that? Another lie, like the one about not touching it at all.



A secure, underground bunker for use in emergencies is located beneath the East Wing. What's he going to tear down to erect a new golden installation?

[popsdenver]

26. A secure underground installation.....?????

Trump probably thinking about the Gold at Fort Knox being transferred there........you all know how he would love to play "Goldfinger".....

[Javaman]

33. throne room. nt

[William Seger]

41. Yeah, even gold-adorned, the Oval Throne Room is just WAY too small for his ego (nt)

[wcmagumba]

2. Someone needs to face charges for this desecration of our House...

If not Trumpy, perhaps the contractor and planners of the destruction?

[William Seger]

42. But King _rump told them they didn't need a permit...

... so no need for them to verify that with a lawyer, right? Does the law even matter if King _rump is above it?

Article of Impeachment #___: Destruction of Public Property

[FakeNoose]

3. Where is Chump going to put the new golf course?

Probably on the National Mall.

I hear he's putting a new Chump Hotel up where the Lincoln Memorial used to be.

[Deuxcents]

4. With all this demolition, I guess Malania doesn't have to worry about decorating or entertaining this year

Everyone will have to go to Mara largo for the holidays

[Boomerproud]

5. The whole thing demolished in one week?

Nothing to see here...

[riversedge]

6. LIAR!!....Trump in July promised construction of the ballroom "won't interfere with the current building."

...........Trump in July promised construction of the ballroom “won’t interfere with the current building.”

“It’ll be near it but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” Trump said of the East Wing at the time.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/trump-white-house-ballroom-east-wing-demolition-youtube.html


The Treasury Department has banned its staff from sharing photos of the East Wing, saying this would pose a potential security risk. The department is located next to the White House with a clear view of the demolition work.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/trump-white-house-ballroom-east-wing-demolition-youtube.html

[Paladin]

8. So what?

Is there even the most remote chance he'll suffer any damage whatsoever for this atrocious act?

[Old Testament Libera]

29. Probably not, but...

...the people doing it can certainly suffer prosecution for violating a whole bunch of federal and local laws. Unless he pardons everybody involved, which will amount to thousands.

[mwb970]

9. This feels more like a direct attack on America than January 6 did, at least to me.

trump demolishes our White House to build a Golden Ballroom to feed his ego. This one is a real heartbreaker.

[KatyaR]

12. I can't look at these photos without wanting to throw up.

He might as well be burning the flag on the front lawn.

[Initech]

17. Last time the White House was destroyed, it was because of a war.

This time it's because of a criminally insane jackass with a god complex who thinks he's emperor of the United States for life and his shitty rage-baiting cable news station is letting him get away with it.

[EX500rider]

40. Not entirely true, Truman gutted the place down to the walls:

[Hotler]

13. Boycott Coke. nt

[Bettie]

14. So, what heinous act is this a distraction from?

It's horrible, I know that, but whatever he wants to distract from must be even worse.

[Initech]

18. Getting the news off how many people showed up at the protests?

[Initech]

15. Imagine if Obama or Biden did this.

Fox News' heads would fucking explode. Fuck Trump.

[LymphocyteLover]

16. I just came here to post this outrageousness!!!!

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-demolishes-entire-east-wing-white-house_n_68f95119e4b01e35ba171d6e?njg

[Septua]

19. He is oblivious of the number of Americans...

..who could give two shits about a gaudy, 90K square feet ballroom, attached to the remaining 55K square foot White House. Especially those federal workers who are out of work or continuing to work for no pay.

I have to wonder if all the maga crowd voted for that...

[Cheezoholic]

20. This is the kind of stuff that someone does who's in no hurry to leave n/t

[SpankMe]

21. Endangering national security at the people's house

Word on the street is that the demolition put certain security measures in plain view that were embedded in the Whitehouse structure. Our enemies will soon be able to exploit it and bypass some key defensive features.

Assuming that certain other federal gov't structures have these same types of hardening, places like portions of the capitol building, the Pentagon and CIA HQ and NSA buildings will likely be less secure in the future.

Anyone who thinks Trump isn't trying to destroy America one brick at a time just isn't paying attention. I just want to know why.

[William Gustafson]

23. From this point on, it has to be called "The Epstein Ballroom"

[struggle4progress]

24. ...

[MadMike47]

27. Demolish the ballroom

That needs to be the first thing that the next President does on Day 1/

[bmichaelh]

28. Speer

Perhaps Trump is trying to emulate his Nazi heroes, Hitler and Speer.

Hitler also wanted an Arch in Berlin.

I am not defending Trump.

Trump never had an original thought in his head.

He gets his ideas from other people; most of the times, bad people.

[JohnnyRingo]

30. He says he loves the sound of construction. That's not what he's hearing

It is destruction that is music to his ears, and that figures.

Last week it would be $200m and wouldn't touch the WH.
Monday it was tearing down a wall and will cost $250m
Today we're looking at $300m and the East Wing is only in the history books. Next week it will probably be $400m and neon Trump signs.

I want to hear one republican say "I wish Joe Biden had done this". That might be true though, because they would have impeached him before lunch.

Here he's crooking his badly mutilated ear to the havoc he's wreaking:

[img][/img]

[Historic NY]

31. The ballroom it self at 90000 sq ft is bigger than the entire WH.

For decades they stressed building underground or in manner that befit the Presidents Mansions as it was called. Now its a catering hall. The wings were ancillary to the house, they built an adjacent EX office building. This dumb fuck addition is ruining a perfectly good structure for the few events held there.

[twodogsbarking]

32. Don't be trying to sell crazy around here, we are full up.

[orangecrush]

34. When you're a dictator they just let you do it

[azureblue]

35. Trump is destroying the symbol of American Democracy

And Republicans don't say $H1T.

This act in itslef should wake up America to what Trump is doing, but few people see it for what it is..

[republianmushroom]

36. I've been lied to AGAIN, by the lying President.

The shame of it, lying to the public.

[travelingthrulife]

37. He did it to prove he is our King.

[GreenEyedLefty]

38. The whole White House as we know it will be gone by the end of his term

He is a remake of emperor Nero. Hoping he meets the same fate.