President Trump said late Friday that there are no plans to name the new White House ballroom after himself, denying reports that administration officials were calling the $300 million project “The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom.” He called the report “fake news.”
President Donald Trump’s administration fired six members of the Commission of Fine Arts who were expected to review the president’s ongoing construction projects.
A new slate of members who are more aligned with Trump’s policies will be named, a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on personnel decisions. The Washington Post was first to report the firings.
East Wing demolished
The backstory:
In order to make way for Trump’s ballroom, the East Wing has been completely demolished.
The traditional base of operations for first ladies and their staff is now gone and “the most special, important building on the planet,” as described by Trump, will take its place.
Dig deeper:
Trump had talked about building a ballroom for years, and pushed ahead with his vision when he returned to office in January.
By the numbers:
His proposal calls for a 90,000-square-foot structure, almost twice the size of the 55,000-square-foot White House itself and able to accommodate 1,000 people. The plan also includes building a more modern East Wing, officials have said.
The Republican president ordered the demolition despite not yet having sign-off for the ballroom construction from the National Capital Planning Commission, one of several entities with a role in approving additions to federal buildings and property. The White House has yet to submit the ballroom plans for the commission’s review because it is closed during the government shutdown.
FILE – An excavator sits on the rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished on Oct. 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Other White House renovations
The ballroom will be the biggest structural change to the Executive Mansion since the addition in 1948 of the Truman Balcony overlooking the South Lawn, even dwarfing the residence itself.
Timeline:
The White House has gone through four major instances of construction and renovation, according to The White House Historical Association:
1792: Cornerstone was laid, construction began1817: White House rebuilt after it was burned by the British in 18141902: Theodore Roosevelt renovation to modernize and establish the West Wing as new executive office space 1952: Harry. S. Truman Renovation completed, which completely gutted and rebuilt the White House from the inside
Big picture view:
Since the last major renovation by Truman, every president and first lady has made changes inside the White House but in very different ways, the White House Historical Association said.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by FOX Local. This story was reported from San Jose.