Trump administration demolishing entire East Wing of the White House to add new ballroom
By: Gabe Gutierrez (NBC News)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The entire East Wing of the White House will be demolished "within days," according to two Trump administration officials.
The demolition marks a significant expansion of the ballroom construction project from what President Trump said earlier this summer.
"It won't interfere with the current building," Trump said on July 31.. "It'll be near it, but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of."
The extent of the demolition was first reported by The New York Times.
A White House official told NBC News the "entirety" of the East Wing would eventually be "modernized and rebuilt," while acknowledging the process is fluid.
"The scope and the size of the ballroom project have always been subject to vary as the process develops," the official told NBC News.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit created by Congress to help preserve historic buildings, sent a letter Tuesday to administration officials, warning that the planned ballroom "will overwhelm the White House itself."
"We respectfully urge the Administration and the National Park Service to pause demolition until plans for the proposed ballroom go through the legally required public review processes," Carol Quillen, National Trust's CEO, said in a statement.
The White House argues that it hasn't been required to submit plans for review by the The National Capital Planning Commission because only demolition — and not technically construction — has begun.
The Commission of Fine Arts, National Capital Planning Commission and DC State Historic Preservation Office are the regulatory agencies that would traditionally be involved in greenlighting any major renovations at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter.
But the White House is ultimately exempt from their binding authority and approval process, the person said, because of what a symbolically unique property 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is.
The Trust for the National Mall oversees the private donations given to support the ballroom project as the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. The design and construction are being led by the president himself, alongside McCrery Architects.
So far, the president has made significant changes to the Rose Garden, Oval Office, Cabinet Room and Palm Room. He also installed two gigantic flagpoles on the property.
Still, some experts have questioned how transparent the administration has been about the ballroom construction project.
Bryan Clark Green, an architectural historian and former appointee to the National Capital Planning Commission, said in an interview: "From a norms and customs side, administrations have always gone through that [approval] process to get buy-in and to make sure the public sees the process and isn't surprised by the design. The whole point of the review process is to improve the design.
"So, you had the [Trump] statement over the summer that this will not affect the East Wing at all. But, obviously, it is. A public process would have avoided that kind of shock and surprise."
Priya Jain, a member of the Society of Architectural Historians, said, "It seems like they [the White House] plans to submit their proposal to the National Capital Planning Commission. However, in regular federal projects, deliberation happens before anything is demolished."
Construction plans were not submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission in advance but a White House official claims they will be "soon when it is time."
It's unclear what that timeframe is. The NCPC is currently affected by the government shutdown.
Construction crews were seen earlier this week ripping down the East Wing facade, prompting criticism from Democrats, historians and even some Republicans.
The White House issued a press release Tuesday, calling the uproar "manufactured outrage" by "unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies."
The critics, the White House said, were "clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump's visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House."
The release called the planned ballroom "a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and renovations from commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence as a beacon of American excellence."
It noted that numerous other presidents have had renovations and construction work done at the site. "FACT: For more than a century, U.S. Presidents have been renovating, expanding, and modernizing the White House to meet the needs of the present day," it said, pointing to specific examples.
The ballroom project is being funded by private donors. Comcast Corp., the parent company of NBCUniversal, was included on a list of top donors to the project. It is currently unclear how much Comcast and other donors have contributed.
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I think there was some confusion as to whether the entire East Wing would be demolished or just the outermost portion of it, but apparently now it is the whole thing.
In his defense, he does need someplace to store all the republican balls that he kept in his pocket. He literally has hundreds (x 2) to keep track of.
Who cares? Seriously?
Every time I think progressives have found the dumbest possible reason to melt down, they top it.
The ballroom will be 163% bigger than the standing original White House . That seriously sounds appropriate, or even sane, to you?
I don't care. Office space doesn't really register on the things I care about. Having a place to host state dinners is reasonable.
They already have a place to host state dinners.
There is one reason they are doing this - it is Trumps monument to himself. I am sure his name will be plastered all over it in signage and artwork, which will stand until a Democrat or non-cult Republican gets elected president.
Holding them under tents isn't the best look.
If left unchecked Trump could be 95 years old and telling some interviewer " The Trump Room is bigger and grander than the White House , which is old and out dated. The Trump Room is my gift to all the Americans who love me and consider me the greatest president ever."
Whats wrong with that? Wealthy people hold elaborate weddings outside. Washington DC usually has a pretty good climate.
In 28 degree weather? which is the average for DC in the winter at night when state dinners are normally held. Does that sound sane to you?
Funny how there never was a demand for a 90,000 sq ft ballroom that will overshadow the White House before the lunatic got in.
Do you want to bet there will be a huge statue of Trump inside the front entrance?
There will undoubtedly be a huge statute and a large dias at one end of the room for His Majesty's golden throne.
Next you will tell us its fine for Gateway Pundit and LindellTV to be roaming the halls of the Pentagon, pretending to be journalists.
It's my heritage Trump is destroying. Some of my ancestors were there when the first White House was burned by the enemy British. Why does some upstart, late-to-the-game immigrant like Trump get to change my heritage? Who the fuck does this immigrant asshole think he is? A New Yorker elite?
Trump has accomplished what Osama bin Laden did not. And you are going to cheer Trump on?
Trump had better install a urinal on his mausoleum because no one is going to bother washing it off.
So were you this upsat when the East wing was added in 1942? or the West wing in 1902? they weren't there when the British built it. Are you against all change? or just trumps changes?
The British didnt build the White House.
[deleted][✘]
Yeah, how come we didn't hear you complaining in 1942 and 1902? I didn't see any comments from you then on here about it. What's wrong with you?
But hey, they did burn it down in 1812. Were you upset about that? Did you post any comments or let the British know how you felt? How come this time is different or is it just because it's Trump?
lol
I don't care if Trump is remodeling the rest room in the parking garage of the Watergate at the other end of town. Trump screwed the pooch this time. Sue the SOB for damages and start restoration.
Queen Elizabeth danced in the White House. Princess Diana danced in the White House. If it was good enough for REAL royalty then Trump has nothing to whine about.
Donald Trump has trailer trash taste. At least the whorehouse chic decor in the Oval Office can be scraped off or painted over. But now Trump has gone too far.
In 1942 there was a REAL President in the White House defending and caring for America.
In 1902 a REAL Republican was President who safeguarded our national heritage for future generations.
Don't lecture about change and then bellyache about immigrants and DEI. You know damned well there are parts of our American heritage that must be preserved.
Donald Trump is a New York elitist who knows nothing and cares even less about our American heritage. For Trump the White House is just a playpen for the wealthy, well connected, and elite.
Donald Trump has accomplished what Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda wanted to do. That's a hell of the legacy. The people who cheered when the twin towers fell must be cheering again. Are you one of them?
So were you this upsat when the East wing was added in 1942? or the West wing in 1902?
What iconic architecture was torn down to build either wing?
There are MAGAs actually bitching about why did no one complain about the renovations Obama made to the White House, but they complain about Trump.
You forgot that he turned the tennis court into a basketball court!! Converted it from a country club to a ghetto.
If JFK could see what Trump has done and is continuing to do to The White House, it would make his portrait DOUBLE meaningful.
Why are you ok with every gargantuan lie that comes out of Trump’s face? He says the original structure will not be touched because the WH is his favorite architecture of all, then knocks down an entire wing to hand out influence to the wealthiest entities in the country. It’s disgusting and you know it. If any Democrat administration had done this you would be calling for heads on pikes.
(commence whataboutism now)
What this likely means is that irreparable structural damage has occurred. Who the hell does a remodel with a backhoe? The plans are a straightforward tie-in of an addition. There's no need to demolish anything on the original structure.
Now the White House is open to the weather with winter approaching. Does anyone have any ideas what is underneath in the basements? And repairing the outer structure won't be quick because the White House has to be bomb proof.
Donald Trump just demonstrated to the entire world that he knows absolutely nothing about construction. Trump has been faking it all along. Only a fool would invest in any Trump properties now they've seen the shoddy work Trump does.
Why does this fly-by-night construction company need this many jacks for a simple tie-in? Are these the weekend roofers that blow through towns across the country? Can they speak English? Has this construction company been vetted by ICE?
He’s probably hoping it just continues to collapse from the opening inward, to the point where he blames the contractor and says sorry, the whole thing has to go now. Then Qatar will be invited to pay to construct a new one 20 stories higher than the national monument, with a 5 story TRUMP brand across the top. I’m not even joking.
It's really hard for me to believe that the American people allow this to happen, almost as much as believing that the majority of them support the terrorist Palestinians over Israel. Obviously super-intelligent AI robotics are needed for re-education and mind-control. Where are Klaatu and Gort when America really needs them?
Too bad Bill Clinton didn't get away with selling the White House to the Chinese like he wanted. China would have fixed everything.
Don't worry, the inflatable frogs blocking downtown traffic will make it all hunky dory.
I really wasn't serious about Klaatu and Gort - are you being serious about that?
In the press the incident was known as Chinagate.
Here's the intro in case you can't open the link:
Part of the controversy involved Clinton inviting donors to stay overnight in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House. But, of course, the Lincoln bedroom was not for sale.
Thanks for posting that for me. I must admit that I don't believe absolutely everything that the Chinese government says, or respect absolutely everything it does, but I feel that its governance for such a massive population is necessary. However, there are many things that the Chinese government has done that earn my respect, such as the eradication of abject poverty in the nation, and the methods it used to accomplish it and and is doing to maintain its benefits. One of those benefits is the increase in consumption helping to maintain the economy - a lesson for the USA that simply tolerates and maintains so many homeless people and poverty. .
There seems to be a lot of people upset about a covered walkway being removed for trumps ballroom, maybe they can find a pathetic ambulance chaser to take time away from skimming insurance money from people who desperately need it to sue trump, does anyone know if Johnny Cochran is still alive?
The covered walkway isnt whats being torn down.
Get with it man.
That’s all that’s missing John plus the widows on the second floor which will no longer be needed.
The East Wing is a 12,000 square ft structure, not a walkway.
The walkway is called colonnade.
My biggest issue is not taking down the East Wing, it is putting up a monument to Trump that will noticeably larger than the White House itself. It is absurd.
It’s expanded to 999 people now so you can be 66% percent more outraged.
Why do we need a new building on the White House grounds that will be 1 1/2 times larger than the White House itself ?
I dont care how many people it seats. It is ridiculous.
Now you can be outraged.
hahahahaha…..