Copyright rt
A demolition team has begun tearing down a section of the East Wing of the White House to make room for a spacious ballroom to be built in its place, US President Donald Trump has announced. Photos and footage depicting the demolition have been published by several media outlets and on social media. In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump wrote that he was “pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom.” “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,” he claimed. Trump emphasized that “this much-needed project” would not cost the American taxpayer a single cent, since it “is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.” Speaking during a dinner with business leaders last week, Trump said that picking up the tab for the $250-million-project were the likes of Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin and Coinbase. Trump has long deplored the fact that the White House lacks a spacious enough room for state dinners and receptions, which have often been held on the South Lawn in temporary tents. The new 90,000-square-foot ballroom is expected to boast seating for 650 people – more than three times the space in the East Room, the largest event space in the White House at present. Democrats were quick to criticize the endeavor. In a post on X on Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom suggested that Trump was “ripping apart the White House just like he’s ripping apart the Constitution.” Florida Senator Darren Soto charged that “Trump’s billionaire ballroom” is a “disgrace.” White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung responded by noting that “construction has always been a part of the evolution of the White House.” “Losers who are quick to criticize need to stop their pearl clutching and understand the building needs to be modernized,” he wrote on X. The last major reconstruction of the White House was completed in 1951 during the presidency of Harry Truman.
