Washington — All the White Home East Wing has now largely been demolished, satellite tv for pc imagery reveals, after the White Home mentioned President Trump doesn’t want to hunt approval to tear it down.
A brand new satellite tv for pc picture under from Planet Labs PBC reveals some rubble the place the East Wing used to face, after demolition of the construction solely started earlier this week.
Planet Labs PBC satellite tv for pc imagery reveals the now non-existent White Home East Wing.
Planet Labs PBC
Planet Labs PBC satellite tv for pc imagery reveals the White Home East wing earlier than it was demolished.
Planet Labs PBC
The president on Thursday mentioned he plans to offer “millions of dollars” of his personal cash to the mission, however he declined to supply a selected determine when he was requested about it by reporters.
The transfer to raze the East Wing — in addition to the rapidity of its destruction — got here as a shock to many, after the president had beforehand mentioned in July the present White Home construction can be untouched.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt instructed reporters Thursday that the president doesn’t want approval for demolition — just for “vertical construction” — citing a earlier authorized opinion from the Nationwide Capital Planning Fee. The fee is a federal company that gives planning insurance policies and critiques of improvement proposals aimed toward preserving the structure of the nation’s capital, though its operations have been affected by the continuing authorities shutdown. It has no authority to cease the ballroom mission.
An excavator works to clear rubble throughout demolition of the East Wing of the White Home on Oct. 23, 2025.
Eric Lee / Getty Photos
“Their general counsel has said when it comes to Phase 1 of this project, the tearing down of the current East Wing structure, a submission is not required legally for that,” Leavitt mentioned. “Only for vertical construction will a submission be required, and that’s a legal opinion from them, and we are following that legal opinion.”
She additionally maintained the White Home has been “transparent” in regards to the ballroom mission.
“The president has been incredibly transparent,” Leavitt mentioned Thursday. “I would reject any notion otherwise, when it comes to this ballroom project.”
A mannequin is seen as President Trump addresses a dinner for donors who’ve contributed to construct the brand new ballroom — the construction on the fitting — on the White Home on Oct. 15, 2025.
John McDonnell / AP
On Wednesday, Mr. Trump mentioned the ballroom, which he says is totally privately funded, would value $300 million, up from the $200 million determine White Home officers initially cited. On Thursday, he repeated that the value tag can be “in the neighborhood” of $300 million and added that the donations have exceeded its value — estimating “I think $350 million” in donations thus far.
The White Home has additionally talked about different presidents who undertook main building tasks at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and revealed a timeline that trolls a few of Mr. Trump’s Democratic predecessors.
Weijia Jiang,
Arden Farhi and
Jennifer Jacobs
contributed to this report.
