Trump knocking down historic East Wing to build Ballroom - is this LEGAL?

[camille70]

People keep repeating this misinformation. The first announcement about this project was in July, where the White House press release said the current east wing would be replaced.

People keep quoting him you mean.

Well as I think about it, you're correct. People are repeating misinformation.

 

[Chesterton]

Here is that press release you cited:

The White House Announces White House Ballroom Construction to Begin

Washington, D.C. — For 150 years, Presidents, Administrations, and White House Staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex that

www.whitehouse.gov

Nowhere in the text does it say anything about exactly how much of the East Wing was to be demolished. The text is not inconsistent with a full replacement, but it's vague enough to be not inconsistent with a lot of different plans.

The press release says: "The site of the new ballroom will be where the small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits." It says the coming thing will be where the current thing is. You know that two physical objects cannot exist in the same physical space at the same time, right?

The same day that press release came out, he was asked at a press conference about it, and he claimed that it would be near the existing building, but not touching it. Snopes has the video:

Trump said new White House ballroom construction wouldn't 'interfere with the current building'

Trump's quote from July 2025 circulated online as partial demolition began on the White House's East Wing in October 2025.

www.snopes.com

Now, one could argue that he was referring to just the central main residence, but either way, he was not clear at all that the East Wing would be completely demoed.

Obviously he was talking about the house itself. What possible reason would he have for misleading anyone?

 

[Chesterton]

People keep quoting him you mean.

Well as I think about it, you're correct. People are repeating misinformation.

See the immediately preceding post.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

The WH posted a White House Major Events Timeline on the official site. Pay close attention to the events after 1970.

The White House Building

Every president since John Adams has occupied the White House, and the history of this building extends far beyond the construction of its walls. From the Ground Floor Corridor rooms, transformed from their early use as service areas, to the State Floor rooms, where countless leaders and...

www.whitehouse.gov

We are run by the most petty school children I’ve ever known.

 

[Desk trauma]

The WH posted a White House Major Events Timeline on the official site. Pay close attention to the events after 1970.

The White House Building

Every president since John Adams has occupied the White House, and the history of this building extends far beyond the construction of its walls. From the Ground Floor Corridor rooms, transformed from their early use as service areas, to the State Floor rooms, where countless leaders and...

www.whitehouse.gov

As ever, there is no bottom.

 

[Always in His Presence]

Just kinda wondering why you felt the need to minimalise it by stressing that it was just a wall or two if it makes no difference to you knocking it all down...

You worry way, way too much about what I think or feel on every matter.

I think you need a hobby.

 

[iluvatar5150]

The press release says: "The site of the new ballroom will be where the small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits." It says the coming thing will be where the current thing is. You know that two physical objects cannot exist in the same physical space at the same time, right?

Did you understand what I wrote about it being vague enough to be consistent with a lot of different plans?

Aside from complete destruction, that line is also consistent with the East Wing being heavily modified; it remaining and being incorporated into the new building; and the new building being appended onto it.

Obviously he was talking about the house itself.

The only way it's "obvious" is with hindsight and with giving him the benefit of the doubt. It was not at all obvious to anybody at the time, which is why everybody was surprised.

What possible reason would he have for misleading anyone?

lol, seriously? He lies constantly. It's one of his defining characteristics.

What possible reasons could he have to have done so here? Perhaps he didn't want people to hassle him about it. Or he didn't think they had any right to question him. Or, like in so many other cases, he didn't know what he was talking about.

 

[Chesterton]

Did you understand what I wrote about it being vague enough to be consistent with a lot of different plans?

Aside from complete destruction, that line is also consistent with the East Wing being heavily modified; it remaining and being incorporated into the new building; and the new building being appended onto it

Okay, then what's all the hulabaloo about?

The only way it's "obvious" is with hindsight and with giving him the benefit of the doubt. It was not at all obvious to anybody at the time, which is why everybody was surprised.

If anyone at the time actually cared enough about this topic to listen to his press conference, I assume they'd have been interested enough to read the short press release. You can't replace part of something without touching that part. This is just after-the-fact manufactured hulabaloo courtesy of the usual Trump-hating industrial complex.

lol, seriously? He lies constantly. It's one of his defining characteristics.

I almost posted about this response because I anticipated it. The obnoxious logical fallacy of "he must be lying because he always lies".

 

[iluvatar5150]

Okay, then what's all the hulabaloo about?

You’d have to ask somebody making a hullabaloo. I haven’t had much of an issue with it since it was announced.

I almost posted about this response because I anticipated it. The obnoxious logical fallacy of "he must be lying because he always lies".

lol, it’s not a logical fallacy when it’s in response to your question “what possible reason would he have to lie?”

If he lies pathologically, then lying would be just part of his nature. But I also gave other hypotheticals.

 

[Chesterton]

You’d have to ask somebody making a hullabaloo. I haven’t had much of an issue with it since it was announced.

Fair enough, but I think this is one of three current CF threads about the east wing. Earlier in this thread even you recited the letters one isn't supposed to say here (TDS).

lol, it’s not a logical fallacy when it’s in response to your question “what possible reason would he have to lie?”

If he lies pathologically, then lying would be just part of his nature. But I also gave other hypotheticals.

Your other hypotheticals were lame too.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Same as before.

A 90,000 sq foot ballroom for state functions, paid by private donors.

I’m very sure it will be used for years to come.

Thanks for asking

It will be good location for the "Donald J. Trump Collection of Classified Documents". A fine improvement from the old storage in the chandeliered bathroom.

 

[Always in His Presence]

It will be good location for the "Donald J. Trump Collection of Classified Documents". A fine improvement from the old storage in the chandeliered bathroom.

awe - you tried to make a funny....

 

[Bradskii]

You worry way, way too much about what I think or feel on every matter.

It's kinda the raison d'etre of the forum. You express an opinion and other people comment on it. So if Trump says he's not going to touch the existing building and then he tears part of it down and you say hey, it's only a wall and someone shows you a picture of what's left of the East wing after it's completely demolished and then you say it's no big deal...then it's worthy of comment.

 

[Always in His Presence]

It's kinda the raison d'etre of the forum. You express an opinion and other people comment on it. So if Trump says he's not going to touch the existing building and then he tears part of it down and you say hey, it's only a wall and someone shows you a picture of what's left of the East wing after it's completely demolished and then you say it's no big deal...then it's worthy of comment.

Except I have never said “it’s no big deal”..

You added that to prove a non existent point.

So we’re done with this once again.

 

[Bradskii]

Except I have never said “it’s no big deal”..

Oh, come on. You said originally 'the part being demolished is a carport. Where people got out when the weather is bad'.

That is obviously attempting to minimise what was being done. That it was no big deal. Hey, they only knocked down a carport! Then you were shown the complete destruction of the East Wing. And when asked about your opinion on that..?

'Same as before'.

 

[DaisyDay]

It doesn't. Right now however, it's an unnecessary extravagance, regardless of who is paying for it.

It has to be cleaned and maintained. Looks expensive to heat with those ceilings. It will be mostly empty unused space.

 

[jacks]

I think we should turn the east wing into a MMA arena. (Complete with gold toilets.) Just for the entertainment value of seeing the righteous indignation.

 

[Tuur]

It will be mostly empty unused space.

Let's see... A quick check turned up that James Earl Carter held 38 state dinners during his four years in office. That's 9 per year, + 1. There is also nothing to prevent it being repurposed for other events. That's what's usually done with other ballrooms.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

Can’t wait for the next president to move in and delete it.

 

[Tuur]

Looks expensive to heat with those ceilings.

You don't want a standard ceiling in a huge room. Been in one and it feels oppressive. Only option in a huge room is a higher than normal ceiling.

Come to think of it, in a couple of churches with vaulted wood ceilings on huge laminated supports, the biggest issue was lack of space to insulate it. Unlike a flat ceiling with a space above it, you couldn't fill them with insulation. Higher ceilings mean more volume to heat and cool, but if you can insulate it, it helps to mitigate the effects somewhat.