Trees are being torn down outside the White House as construction gets under way on President Donald Trump’s $200 million ballroom.
Work crews were seen cutting down trees and branches around the East Wing on Tuesday as the president’s vanity project gathers speed.
The White House announced in July plans to add a ballroom to the historic building, with work set to begin in September. But key details surrounding the project largely remain a mystery, including how many trees will have to be removed to make way for the extension.
Officials say the ballroom will be “substantially separated” from the main White House while still being “almost identical” in architectural style.
A White House official told The Washington Post last week that the project is in the “preservation stage,” during which trees, shrubbery, and other foliage will be moved off-site for potentially the next several weeks.
The National Park Service could not confirm how many trees will ultimately need to be cut down.
“The National Park Service takes great care to honor the historic landscape of the White House and President’s Park,” NPS spokesperson Jasmine Shanti told the Post. “When feasible, trees are preserved and nurtured so they can thrive and eventually be replanted.”
Trump has claimed that people in the White House have been calling for a ballroom to host lavish occasions for the past 150 years. He has also vowed to largely foot the bill himself rather than saddle taxpayers with the cost.
While berating the press before his departure for a historic second state visit to the U.K. on Tuesday, Trump took a moment to acknowledge the construction on the South Lawn.
“You see that area, that is going to be the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world. It gives me pleasure to do it for the country. And I’m paying for it,” Trump said.
Trump, known for wildly exaggerating and inflating figures when it suits him, also suggested the true cost of the ballroom could reach $250 million.
“For 150 years, they’ve wanted a ballroom, and now they’re going to finally have it. And it’s going to knock your socks off,” Trump added.
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