Officials Confirm Complete Demolition of White House East Wing Set for Days Ahead

The East Wing of the White House is set to be demolished “within days,” according to Trump administration officials, marking a major escalation in President Donald Trump’s ongoing renovation and ballroom construction project.

The New York Times first revealed the extent of the planned demolition, which Trump had earlier claimed would “not interfere with the current building.”

Initially, the project was described as a separate addition, but new reports confirm the entire East Wing will be torn down, modernized, and rebuilt. A White House official told NBC News that while the process remains “fluid,” the “entirety” of the East Wing will eventually undergo reconstruction.

Built in 1942 during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s term, the East Wing has long been associated with the First Lady and her staff. Despite its historic importance, construction crews have already begun tearing down the facade as part of the new ballroom expansion. Trump says the ballroom will accommodate up to 900 guests and cost approximately $300 million, an increase from the earlier $250 million estimate, with funding reportedly coming from Trump and private donors.

Officials say all historical elements, including those from Rosalynn Carter’s original Office of the First Lady, have been preserved and stored under the supervision of the White House Executive Residence and the National Park Service. The White House Historical Association is assisting with their safekeeping and potential reuse in future projects.

However, the demolition plan has drawn strong criticism from historians and preservation groups. The National Trust for Historic Preservation issued a letter urging the administration to pause demolition until all required public review processes are completed. “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,” said Carol Quillen, CEO of the National Trust.

Despite this, White House officials argue that they are not required to submit plans for public review at this stage, claiming that only demolition, not construction, has started. Typically, major renovations at the White House fall under the review of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the D.C. State Historic Preservation Office. But according to sources familiar with the process, the White House is exempt from their binding authority due to its unique federal and symbolic status.

The Trust for the National Mall, in partnership with the National Park Service, manages private donations for the project. Trump himself is overseeing the ballroom’s design alongside McCrery Architects. Over the years, Trump has also led redesigns of several White House areas, including the Rose Garden, Oval Office, Cabinet Room, and Palm Room, changes that have drawn mixed reactions. He also installed two massive flagpoles on the property.

Experts are now questioning the transparency surrounding the ballroom project. Architectural historian Bryan Clark Green said past administrations followed established review procedures to ensure public involvement and design integrity. “A public process would have avoided that kind of shock and surprise,” he said, referencing Trump’s initial claim that the East Wing would remain untouched.

Priya Jain, a member of the Society of Architectural Historians, added that the timeline is highly unusual. “In regular federal projects, deliberation happens before anything is demolished,” she said. While a White House official stated that construction plans will be submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission “soon when it is time,” no concrete timeframe has been provided. The delay is further complicated by the ongoing government shutdown affecting the NCPC.

As demolition progresses, criticism from Democrats, historians, and even some Republicans has grown louder. The White House, however, dismissed the backlash as “manufactured outrage” from “unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies.” In a statement, the administration defended the ballroom as “a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and renovations” made by previous presidents.

The statement also pointed out that presidents throughout history have expanded and modernized the White House to meet contemporary needs. “For more than a century, U.S. Presidents have been renovating, expanding, and modernizing the White House,” it read.

Last week, Trump hosted a private dinner at the White House to thank the donors supporting the project. Among the listed top contributors was Comcast Corp., parent company of NBCUniversal. Although the exact amounts remain undisclosed, Alphabet, the parent company of YouTube, reportedly donated $22 million to the project as part of a settlement in a court case Trump filed against the company.

As the East Wing’s walls come down, preservationists warn of the irreversible loss of architectural heritage, while Trump insists his vision will “keep the executive residence as a beacon of American excellence.”