Donald Trump has torn down the White House’s East Wing to create his big “beautiful” ballroom, but his staff insist the US president’s project is a “bold, necessary addition” that continues a long-standing legacy.
The East Wing — the entrance for visitors and where first ladies worked, planned state dinners and promoted causes for the past 123 years — is now a pile of rubble and history itself.
The two-storey structure is being razed to make way for a new 8361 square-metre ballroom, which is almost twice the size of the White House.
Trump, who has long complained about the lack of space in the East Room and the tents erected on the South Lawn to host larger events, said it is “going to be probably the finest ballroom ever built”.
The cost of the project was bumped up to $300 million (AUD$460.5 million), with Trump saying it is being privately funded by “me and some friends of mine”.
Construction is expected to be completed before the end of his term in office in January 2029.
Democrats, preservationists and critics have raised concerns about a lack of transparency, approval and the destruction of the building, with many aghast to see images of a bulldozed East Wing.
The White House said Trump is merely continuing a “proud presidential legacy”, with Republicans pointing to a long list of past leaders who also made changes to the building in its 200-year existence.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the American people to “just trust the process”.
Presidents have been remodelling and expanding the White House for more than a century, from Richard Nixon installing a bowling alley, John F. Kennedy creating the modern Rose Garden, and Barack Obama resurfacing part of the tennis court for a basketball court, to more significant changes, including creating new wings and rebuilding the interior.
But all those changes have all gone through a review process, even though it is not technically required, while Trump’s ballroom did not.
His project is also the largest renovation since former president Harry Truman’s complete interior renovation in 1948.
Let’s take a look back at some of the past major remodels.
1902 — Theodore Roosevelt builds the East and West wings
This is believed to be a renovation that modernised the White House for the 20th century, taking all the previous alterations to create one big cohesive building.
Perhaps one of Roosevelt’s biggest changes was moving his office from the second floor to the newly built executive office building, later named the West Wing.
This was an intentional space for the president and his closest staff to work from.
Roosevelt also added a colonial garden and an east terrace, which served as an entryway for guests. This was later dubbed the East Wing.
1909 — William Taft remodels the West Wing and builds the Oval Office
Taft immediately remodelled and expanded his predecessor’s executive building, adding an oval-shaped room at its centre to serve as the very first main presidential office.
This was, of course, named the Oval Office.
Before the establishment of a main office, presidents would work from different areas of the White House.
This was used by every succeeding president until 1934.
1934 — Franklin Roosevelt expands the West Wing, moves the Oval Office and rebuilds the East Wing
Roosevelt added more office space to the West Wing and relocated the Oval Office to the south-east corner of the building overlooking the Rose Garden.
That is where it remains today.
He also rebuilt the East Wing to conceal a new underground emergency bunker.
Roosevelt added a privately-financed indoor swimming pool to help with his therapy for the effects of polio.
This was later covered up and turned into the current press briefing room by Richard Nixon in 1970.
1948 — Harry Truman reconstructs the interior
Truman oversaw one of the most significant changes to the White House, prompted by structural deficiencies.
He completely gutted the entire interior and rebuilt it from the inside, leaving only the exterior intact.
1975 — Gerald Ford installs an outdoor swimming pool
As an avid swimmer who wanted to maintain his regimen, Ford ordered the installation of an outdoor swimming pool on the South Grounds.
This was also financed entirely by private donations.
— With the Associated Press
