Washington, D.C. – In a globally contentious decision, U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized the demolition of the historic White House East Wing, replacing it with a $300 million privately funded ballroom. The announcement, made on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 08:01 AM GMT, has sparked widespread international criticism and debate among world leaders, historians, and citizens.
The East Wing, a cornerstone of the White House since its construction began in 1942 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, boasts a storied past. Initially built to provide additional office space and a bomb shelter, it was expanded in the 1960s to include the First Lady’s office and public tour areas. Designed by architect Lorenzo Winslow, its elegant Georgian architecture hosted pivotal events like state dinners and press briefings, earning its place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Now in his second non-consecutive term as the 47th president—inaugurated on January 20, 2025, after winning the 2024 election with 312 electoral votes against Kamala Harris’s 226—Trump has overseen this transformative project. Funded through undisclosed private sources, the new ballroom is described by insiders as a “cutting-edge venue for global diplomacy and private gatherings,” with an anticipated opening in 2026. The move has drawn sharp rebuke from UNESCO and other heritage groups, who lament the loss of a cultural treasure, while some allies applaud the modernization effort.
International reactions have been swift, with the United Nations demanding transparency on the funding, and European leaders calling for a review of its impact on U.S. heritage. The U.S. Congress is preparing to investigate the legal and financial implications of altering a federally protected site. The White House has yet to issue an official statement, leaving the global community awaiting further clarity as the situation evolves.