Trump says 'existing structure' of White House East Wing to be torn down

October 23, 2025

President Trump has begun demolishing the White House East Wing as part of a controversial $250 million ballroom construction project, with officials stating the structure will be completely torn down by the weekend. This represents a significant expansion from the initial project announced over summer, which Trump had claimed would not interfere with the existing building. Despite Trump's assertions of transparency, the project has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers who have requested documentation about the demolition, while conservationists argue the renovation should have undergone more scrutiny given the building's historic status.

Who is affected

White House staff and the First Lady whose offices are located in the East Wing
Conservationists and historic preservation organizations
American public who consider the White House a national landmark
Future presidential administrations who will inherit the modified White House

What action is being taken

Crews are actively demolishing parts of the East Wing structure
Trump and donors are funding the $250 million ballroom construction
Democratic members of the House of Representatives are requesting documents related to the demolition
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is asking Trump to pause demolition work
The military is involved in the construction project

Why it matters

The White House is a historic landmark that has served as the president's home for two centuries
The East Wing has existed since 1902 and was last modified in 1942
The project bypasses the public review process typically required for historic buildings
The demolition represents a significant and permanent alteration to a national monument
The scale of the work is much larger than initially presented in earlier announcements

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC