Demolition of White House's East Wing for Donald Trump's Ballroom Begins
Demolition Crews Hit The White House's East Wing ... For Trump's Ballroom
Published
It's official, folks ... demolition has begun on the White House's East Wing as part of President Donald Trump's plan for constructing a new ballroom.
Construction workers tore down the facade of the East Wing on Monday, and the demolition was overseen by several members of the Secret Service as it took place, according to The Washington Post ... the massive hole and the interior of the White House was visible to the public.
Trump was nearby attending an event held in another part of the White House, to honor the Louisiana State University and LSU Shreveport baseball teams, and he did let the attendees know they might hear the sounds of demolition.
The President posted about the project on Truth Social, describing the construction of the ballroom as "much-needed."
FYI ... the East Wing is typically reserved for the First Lady's activities -- in this case, Melania Trump -- and her team. Staffers stationed in the East Wing were relocated prior to the start of demolition.
Trump stated his new ballroom would be able to hold up to 900 people, even though the initial plans only accounted for a maximum capacity of 650, according to NBC News. The construction began even without approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves construction and renovations to D.C. government buildings, NPR reports.
Oh, and in case you were wondering who's paying for the new ballroom, 47's reportedly going to be taking care of the tab on this one ... with the help of several wealthy donors.
