New photos have shown the scale of destruction at the White House after Donald Trump tore down the East Wing to make way for his $300 million ballroom.
After the president declared this week that building ballrooms was his “biggest strength,” never-before-seen images have offered a fresh glimpse of the debris and dirt left by the razed East Wing as the controversial project takes shape.
The photos were taken from the top of the Washington Monument, the 555-foot-tall obelisk, reopening to visitors this weekend after the government shutdown finally ended after a record 43 days.
Gone are the offices that once housed generations of First Ladies and their staff, and the entrance that welcomed millions of visitors from around the world.
Jacqueline Kennedy’s Garden, which the then First Lady Claudia Johnson dedicated to her in 1965, has also been razed, along with the bright colonnade that led to the Executive Mansion.
And also gone is the White House cinema, where Jimmy Carter reportedly watched more films than any other president, or where George W. Bush was known to rehearse State of the Union speeches.
As cranes and other construction machinery fill the site of the former East Wing, Trump talked up his ballroom project again on Thursday, and appeared to suggest it may require moving more of the White House.
Speaking at a foster care event with First Lady Melania Trump, the president paused to point to the golden drapes behind him, which hang over a large window and indicate where the new ballroom is being built.
“And right behind me, by the way, in about two years from now, we’ll use a much bigger room,” Trump told his guests in the East Room, which is currently the largest event space in the White House but can only accommodate about 200 people.
“It’ll be right here.”
“That’s a knock-out panel, it’s called a knock-out,” Trump added, referring to a wall that can be quickly removed during construction that allows for future expansion.
“It looks pretty nice right now, but it’s gonna look a lot better in a little while.”
The new ballroom will be privately funded by Trump and various billionaire donors, including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Palantir—many of whom currently benefit from lucrative government contracts or government deregulation.
Once built, the 90,000-square foot ballroom will accommodate up to 1000 guests and dwarf the main White House building, which is about 55,000-square feet.
While former First Ladies such Michelle Obama have hit out at the East Wing demolition, which took place without proper permits, oversight, or public buy-in, Melania Trump has remained silent.
However, Trump revealed this week what his wife thought, telling Fox host Laura Ingraham: “She loved her little, tiny office, but you know what? She’s very smart. In about one day, she—if you would ask her now, she says it’s great.”
The ballroom is just one of many projects the President has embarked on as he reshapes Washington in his own image.
Since returning to power in January, the former real estate mogul has also redecorated the Oval Office with gold accents and ornate frames; removed portraits of his predecessors and replaced them with his own; installed two giant flagpoles on the north and south lawn; and paved over the grass in the Rose Garden to create a white patio filled with yellow Mar-a-Lago chairs and umbrellas.
Last month, as millions of Americans were at risk of losing food stamps due the shutdown, he also unveiled a newly renovated Lincoln bathroom.
As for his next target? The president appears to have set his sights on the iconic Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door, which he says would like to paint stark white.
Not even Laura Ingraham was impressed.
“Are you not worried it’s like... a big white blob?” she asked, almost cringing, when he told her of his plans during an interview this week.
“No, what it does is it brings out the detail,” Trump insisted.
“I don’t even know if I’m going to do it yet, I’m getting costs, I’m getting bids right now from painters, and we’ll see,” he added.
“It would be a great addition to Washington.”
