Former President Donald Trump responded to recent reports that Melania Trump had privately expressed concerns about demolishing the White House East Wing to make room for a new ballroom.
During an appearance on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle on Monday, Nov. 10, Trump was asked by host Laura Ingraham whether The Wall Street Journal’s report was accurate. He downplayed the suggestion, saying his wife quickly supported the project.
“She loved her little, tiny office,” Trump admitted, according to The Daily Beast. “But you know what? She’s very smart. In about one day, if you would ask her now, she says, ‘It’s great.’ ”
According to WSJ, Melania had “privately raised concerns about tearing down the East Wing and told associates it wasn’t her project,” citing administration officials.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/white-house-east-wing-110325-2-30084a14cb2944cd8e6596b7f681ee63.jpg)
Construction on the 90,000-square-foot White House Ballroom officially began in September and is estimated to cost at least $300 million. Trump previously said the plan was meant to “modernize” the East Wing while creating a space to host foreign dignitaries.
“The White House Ballroom will be substantially separated from the main building of the White House, but at the same time, its theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical,” the administration’s press release stated. “The site of the new ballroom will be where the small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits.”
The ballroom will reportedly include gold chandeliers, coffered ceilings, and expansive floor space — a design reminiscent of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
In August, reports indicated that the Trump family had been “bringing Mar-a-Lago to Washington” through several renovations, including a gold-accented Oval Office makeover.
Beyond the ballroom project, the Trumps have added yellow-and-white Mar-a-Lago-style umbrellas to the former Rose Garden patio and introduced a new “Presidential Walk of Fame” along the West Colonnade — a feature that also serves as a pointed nod to President Joe Biden.
Trump has also ordered new portraits of himself to be displayed around the White House and installed marble flooring in at least two rooms.
While the White House has not announced a completion date for the new ballroom, the official statement said the space would be ready “long before the end of President Trump’s term.”
