The White House has fired back at criticism over the demolition of a section of the historic building to make way for Donald Trump’s beloved $250 million ballroom.
Photos on Monday showed construction equipment ripping down the entrance of the East Wing of the White House, an area that has long housed the offices of the first lady.
On Monday, the president talked up his 90,000-square foot ballroom, which, with a capacity of 999 people, will be covered by bulletproof glass.
“They’ve wanted a ballroom for 150 years,” Trump said during an event celebrating baseball champions Louisiana State University and Louisiana State University-Shreveport in the East Room at the White House. “And I’m giving that honor to this wonderful place. You’re gonna see a ballroom the likes of which... I don’t think it’ll be topped.”
Trump then added on Truth Social that the “ground has been broken” on the “much-needed project.”
The demolition, however, has raised eyebrows among Trump critics. Key Democratic figures called out the optics of starting construction on the luxury private ballroom during a cost-of-living crisis.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California shared an image of bulldozers tearing down the East Wing. “Ripping apart the White House just like he’s ripping apart the Constitution,” he wrote.
The Democrats posted a construction photo on X, claiming, “Trump is tearing down the East Wing of the White House to build a $250 million golden ballroom for himself and his donors.”
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren also joined the chorus of criticism, as well as JFK’s niece, Maria Shriver, who said the images of the demolition “breaks my heart” and “infuriates me.”
It didn’t take MAGA mouthpieces long to weigh in on the demolition debate.
The White House’s official RapidResponse47 X account called out the “FAKE OUTRAGE” over Trump’s “big, beautiful (and privately funded) White House Ballroom” by listing previous tweaks to the building, including President Barack Obama upgrading the tennis court into a full basketball court in 2009.
White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung was among the most vocal on X, digging up a photo of a 1950 White House renovation from a Smithsonian story highlighting construction over the years at the iconic building.
“Construction has always been a part of the evolution of the White House,” Cheung wrote. “Losers who are quick to criticize need to stop their pearl clutching and understand the building needs to be modernized. Otherwise you’re just living in the past.”
He also shared a renovation pic with a render of the inside of the future ballroom, noting that it was, “The beginning of something beautiful.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also reposted vintage renovation images of the West Wing under construction in 1934 and the interior of the White House during the Truman renovation between 1948-1952, adding “And President Trump is not costing the taxpayers a dime!”
The White House’s X account also shared sketches of the ballroom design, noting it was privately funded, and “it costs taxpayers nothing & will be cherished for generations.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for additional comment.
Announcing the construction in July, the White House said in a statement, “The East Wing was constructed in 1902 and has been renovated and changed many times, with a second story added in 1942.”
Trump funded the estimated $250 million cost of the ballroom from cashed-up donors, holding an exclusive dinner last week at the White House to thank his “really, really generous” friends in the room.
“A couple of you sitting here [were] saying, ‘Uh, sir, would $25 million be appropriate?’,” Trump noted. “I said, ‘I’ll take it.’ You know, it doesn’t take too many 25[million]s to get it done.”
Trump had earlier promised that his renovations would not impact on the current building. “It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. 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 in July. “It’s my favorite. It’s my favorite place. I love it.”
Other Democrats called out the construction on social media. Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey posted a photo of his family posing in front of the area of the White House that has now been demolished. “We didn’t need a billionaire-funded ballroom to celebrate America,” Kim posted on X. “Disgusting what Trump is doing.”
Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota posted on X, “Seeing the White House torn apart is really emblematic of the times we’re in.”
Illinois congressman Sean Casten said a photo of the demolition was, “The Trump administration, in one image.”
CNN political commentator Karen Finney said the timing of the construction was “fairly grotesque” at a time when the government is shut down and inflation is still high.
Speaking on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins on Monday, Finney said she was shocked at the pictures of the East Wing being demolished.
“Having worked in the White House there’s so much beauty and history in the East Wing,” Finney said. “It’s so sad to see that huge hole there... In many ways what the People’s House is supposed to be about is not necessarily a grand ballroom with crystal chandeliers, so I just think the construction timing is really gross.”
However CNN’s conservative commentator Scott Jennings praised the changes.
“Donald Trump is all about hospitality, that’s his business,” Jennings said. “This is going to give us a place in the White House to do the biggest and best hospitality we’ve ever done.”
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