Overview
- The White House East Wing has been demolished to clear space for a roughly 90,000-square-foot, privately funded ballroom expected to accommodate about 650 guests at an estimated cost of $250 million to $350 million.
- The administration released a list of corporate contributors, including Amazon, Apple, Caterpillar, Meta, Microsoft and T-Mobile, intensifying questions about influence and transparency.
- Biographer Michael Wolff alleged Trump asked whether demolition could occur at night to keep the teardown out of public view, calling the approach a real-estate tactic to make the loss irreversible.
- T-Mobile said it donated to the Trust for the National Mall and has no role in the use of those funds or decisions related to the ballroom’s construction.
- Officials proceeded without waiting for National Capital Planning Commission approval, which the White House is legally exempt from, as preservation and congressional reviews press for more details on donors and process.