President Donald Trump posted a cryptic message over the weekend after construction setbacks emerged on the massive 90,000-square-foot ballroom being built at the White House. The social media post reignited debate over the project, which has already drawn intense scrutiny from preservationists, architects and former officials.
“As long as we are going to do it, we are going to do it RIGHT,” Trump wrote in his Nov. 30 Truth Social post, signaling his determination to push the project forward despite delays and ongoing criticism.
The president doubled down on his long-standing claim that the ballroom is funded entirely by private contributors. “The Presidential Ballroom, which I am building at the White House, with all private donations and funding (ZERO cost to the American Taxpayer!), will be, at its completion, the most beautiful and spectacular Ballroom anywhere in the World!” he wrote.
Recent photos show construction crews continuing to remove the East Wing — a demolition that unfolded abruptly on Oct. 20 and caught many by surprise. The removal has raised concerns about the building’s historic integrity, with preservation experts and critics questioning both the scale and speed of the work. Former first lady Hillary Clinton was among those who voiced alarm over the sweeping teardown.
Trump defended the scale of the design, arguing that previous presidents lacked the vision or capacity to deliver such an ambitious addition. The ballroom, he wrote, is something “needed and desired at the White House for over 150 years, but something which no other President was equipped to do. It will be a magnificent addition to the White House, the most important since the building of the West Wing!”
The ballroom is being designed by architect James McCrery II, who previously cautioned the administration about scale concerns. According to The Washington Post, McCrery warned that the project could “dwarf” the 55,000-square-foot executive mansion. In July, he “counseled restraint over (the) concerns,” the Post reported, noting that the original renderings risked violating “a general architectural rule: don’t build an addition that overshadows the main building.”
Preservationists echoed the warning, telling USA TODAY that the ballroom’s volume and footprint could “overwhelm the presidential residence itself.” Despite these disagreements, a White House official said McCrery would remain the project’s lead consultant.
“As with any building, there is a conversation between the principal and the architect. All parties are excited to execute on the President’s vision on what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office,” the official said on Nov. 26.
The East Wing demolition is one of the most significant structural alterations to the White House in decades. The White House complex — already defined by layered histories, wartime reconstructions, and modern expansions — has rarely seen an alteration of this magnitude, especially on an accelerated timeline.
The ballroom project has heightened political tensions, as critics question the transparency of the planning process, the absence of Congressional oversight, and the long-term implications for both the executive residence and federal preservation standards.
Despite the pushback, construction appears to be continuing steadily. Photos taken from the Washington Monument show crews clearing debris and preparing new foundations. The administration is also reportedly working to accelerate permitting and design reviews to maintain the projected construction schedule.
Originally reported by Natalie Neysa Alund in USA TODAY.
