A number one historic preservation group is demanding President Trump pause the demolition of all or a part of the White Home’s East Wing to make room for his glitzy deliberate $250 million ballroom.
The Nationwide Belief for Historic Preservation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit, mentioned in a letter that the controversial venture must be placed on maintain till a evaluation of Trump’s plans might be accomplished by regulatory companies.
It additionally desires the general public to have a say.
“We respectfully urge the administration … to pause demolition until plans for the proposed ballroom go through the legally required public review processes, including consultation and review by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, and to invite comment from the public,” the belief mentioned.
Work continues on the demolition of part of the East Wing of the White Home, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Washington, earlier than development of a brand new ballroom. (AP Picture/Jacquelyn Martin)
The belief voiced aesthetic considerations that “the proposed new development will overwhelm the White Home itself.
A White Home official informed The New York Occasions on Wednesday that the whole East Wing will probably be demolished for the ballroom despite the fact that Trump initially denied the development would even “touch” the historic wing.
The preservation belief has no authorized energy to dam the demolition or Trump’s plans to erect an enormous ballroom alongside the present footprint of the White Home.
There was no fast response from the White Home to the letter. Officers say Trump doesn’t must file plans with oversight teams, however insisted they might achieve this earlier than development begins for the ballroom.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photographs
President Donald Trump seems to be on throughout a press convention within the Oval Workplace of the White Home on October 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Picture by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photographs)
The demolition, which began with out prior discover Monday, continued Wednesday, with backhoes ripping down parts of the East Wing.
Trump and White Home spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt had beforehand falsely insisted no present a part of the White Home can be affected by the ballroom venture.
The 90,000-square-foot glass-windowed ballroom will home as much as 1,000 company and is anticipated to be larger than the whole remainder of the White Home.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photographs
The facade of the East Wing of the White Home is demolished by work crews on October 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Picture by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photographs)
Trump says it’s wanted as a result of there isn’t a White Home house to accommodate crowds larger than 200. State dinners and different giant officers features now should be held in tents exterior.
The East Wing homes a number of workplaces, together with these of the primary girl. The workplaces are being quickly relocated in the course of the development, which is the largest development venture on the White Home since 1948.
Initially Printed: October 22, 2025 at 4:17 PM EDT
