Trump has parts of the White House torn down for his ballroom

Donald Trump has “beautified” the Oval Office with gold, had “the best and biggest” flagpoles erected in front of the White House – Donald Trump is rebuilding his official residence according to his ideas. Now it’s time for the east wing of the presidential residence. On Monday, the excavators rolled in to begin work on a new ballroom.

““I am pleased to announce that work has begun on the new, large and beautiful ballroom on the White House grounds,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. He claimed that presidents for 150 years have dreamed of building a White House ballroom for events and receptions. “We will be the most beautiful ballroom in the world United States have,” Trump promised.

At the beginning of August, the US President announced plans to build a ballroom for 650 people. His spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt emphasized at the time that no structures in the White House should be damaged during construction. At a dinner with wealthy donors the previous week, Trump announced that the new ballroom would now have 999 seats. The hall alone is expected to have an area of ​​90,000 feet (around 8,400 square meters) and will be completed by the end of Trump’s term in office in 2029.

The cost of the conversion also included a renovation of the rest East wing includes 250 million dollars (around 215 million euros) and will be supported by “generous patriots, great American companies and myself,” said Trump. The donations sparked concerns among ethics experts that rich people could gain further access to the White House, reports the New York Times. It is not yet known who the donors are. It is also sometimes criticized that Trump’s massive extension represents a major intervention in the historical ensemble of buildings on the White House grounds.

The East Wing of the White House, built in 1902, is traditionally the home of the First Lady. Last month, Melania Trump’s employees began packing up documents and taking them to other areas of the White House.

Donald Trump has long dreamed of building a ballroom in the White House. During Barack Obama’s first term in office, Trump contacted the chief advisor and offered him the construction of a ballroom for $100 million. He renewed his offer in 2016, NBC News reported. Obama’s senior adviser David Axelrod confirmed in his book “Believer: My Forty Years in Politics” that there was an exchange about the ballroom, but did not mention a name.