President Trump confirmed Wednesday that the entire East Wing of the White House will be demolished to make way for the construction of a massive new ballroom — which will now cost $300 million.
“In order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, as he showed off renderings of what the White House grounds will look like when the project is completed in 2029.
The president claimed “certain areas are being left” and that “little sections of footings and various other things” from the existing structure, originally built in 1902, would be used.
“We determined that, after really a tremendous amount of study with some of the best architects in the world, we determined that really knocking it down” would be the best path forward, Trump said.
When he first unveiled plans to build the 90,000-square-foot ballroom, he suggested that the structure would be nestled near the existing East Wing and not replace it entirely.
“It won’t interfere with the current building. It’ll be near it but not touching it,” he said in July. “And pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.”
The cost of the project, which Trump claims will be entirely paid for through private donations, was initially estimated at $200 million, later jumped to $250 million and is now at $300 million — $100 million more than the original estimate.
“We’re making it a little bigger. It will be top of the line, as good as it can get anywhere in the world,” Trump told NBC News last month.
On Wednesday, the president revealed the newest price tag, “about $300 million.”
The demolition of the East Wing began on Monday, with construction crews spotted ripping off the covered entrance to the building and pulling debris out of a gaping hole in the upper level.
The East Wing housed the first lady’s offices and social offices, including the graphics and calligraphy office. It also sat atop a bomb shelter.
“The way it was shown, it looked like we were touching the White House,” Trump said of the striking images of the demolition. “We don’t touch the White House.”
The president noted that the East Wing has undergone extensive renovations in the past, with its current form dating back to 1942, making it one of the newest parts of the White House complex.
“You know, the East Wing was not much. It was not much left from the original,” the president said.
“It was never thought of as being much. It was a very small building, and rather than allowing that to hurt, a very expensive, beautiful building that, frankly, they’ve been after for years,” Trump added, going on to pledge that the new building will “be one of the great ballrooms anywhere in the world.”
A White House official told The Post that the East Wing “is being modernized from its 1902 and 1942 constructions.”
“The scope and size of the project has always been subject to vary as the process developed,” the official added.
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