businessinsider.com See the full timeline of Trump's $400 million White House ballroom and military complex Talia Lakritz 25–32 minutes
You can take President Donald Trump out of real estate, but you can't take real estate out of President Donald Trump.
Trump has exhibited a particular passion for redesigning the nation's capital and renovating the White House in his second, non-consecutive term, redecorating historic spaces such as the Oval Office and the Rose Garden.
His most ambitious — and controversial — project thus far: demolishing the East Wing to build a $400 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom complex reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago estate.
The project has prompted a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and widespread criticism regarding the use of taxpayer funds for security measures in the new addition.
The Trump administration maintains that the new ballroom, which includes a military complex underneath, is necessary for national security.
"The East Wing Modernization Project is inextricably tied to the security of the president, the White House grounds, and the certain security infrastructure assets," White House spokesman David Ingle told Business Insider.
Ingle also highlighted recent attempts on the president's life, including a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April and a thwarted attack on the UFC Freedom 250 event in June, adding that these instances prove "exactly why the East Wing Modernization Project is severely needed for large-scale events, which include drone-proof structures and drone ports among other critical security enhancements."
Here's a look at how the White House ballroom project has progressed — and how the new building is taking shape. July 31, 2025: The White House announced plans to construct a new $200 million ballroom measuring 90,000 square feet on the site of the East Wing.
The East Wing of the White House before its demolition. The East Wing of the White House before its demolition. Kevin Carter/Getty Images
The White House said the new ballroom would seat 650 people, an upgrade from the East Room's 200-person capacity, and that Trump and "other patriot donors" would provide the funds.
McCrery Architects, based in Washington, DC, was announced as the lead architect, with construction work led by Maryland-based Clark Construction.
"The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come," White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in a statement. September 4, 2025: Trump's handpicked head of the National Capital Planning Commission said that White House demolition work did not require approval.
White House Staff Secretary and National Capital Planning Commission Chairman Will Scharf at a commission meeting. White House Staff Secretary and National Capital Planning Commission Chairman Will Scharf at a commission meeting. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The National Capital Planning Commission, a federal agency tasked with approving construction work and renovations on government buildings in the DC area, met to discuss Trump's planned White House ballroom.
Will Scharf, whom Trump appointed as the chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, said the agency did not need to approve demolition work on the White House grounds because it has jurisdiction only over "vertical build," not site preparation work.
"I think any assertion that this commission should have been consulted earlier than it has been, or it will be, is simply false," he said at the meeting. October 15, 2025: Trump hosted a dinner at the White House for donors who agreed to contribute to the ballroom.
President Donald Trump at a dinner for billionaires and corporate executives in the East Room of the White House. President Donald Trump at a dinner for billionaires and corporate executives in the East Room of the White House. Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Guests at the dinner included representatives from companies donating funds to Trump's ballroom, such as Amazon, Apple, Coinbase, Comcast, Google, Lockheed Martin, Meta, and T-Mobile. October 20, 2025: Demolition work on the East Wing began.
Demolition work on the East Wing of the White House. Demolition work on the East Wing of the White House. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
In a statement, the White House called the renovation "a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions from commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence as a beacon of American excellence." October 22, 2025: Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the estimated cost of the ballroom's construction had risen to "about $300 million."
Donald Trump holds a photo of a rendering of the new ballroom. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office with photos of the future White House ballroom. Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Trump also showed reporters architectural renderings of the new ballroom. October 23, 2025: The White House shared a list of the donors funding Trump's ballroom.
A rendering of President Donald Trump's planned White House ballroom. A rendering of President Donald Trump's planned White House ballroom. Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The White House shared a list of 37 ballroom donors with Business Insider, including Big Tech companies and wealthy individuals such as oil tycoon Harold Hamm, Blackstone CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman, and the Winklevoss twins. November 26, 2025: Photos showed the complete demolition of the East Wing.
An aerial view of the White House and the demolished East Wing. White House construction as seen from the Washington Monument. Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who left her role in late August, had previously told reporters that the East Wing would be "modernized" and that "the necessary construction will take place."
Despite the project's lack of approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, bulldozers razed the East Wing. December 12, 2025: The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the Trump administration to halt construction on the White House ballroom.
Demolition work where the East Wing once stood. Demolition work where the East Wing once stood. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
In the lawsuit, the National Trust for Historic Preservation called the construction of the White House ballroom "unlawful," writing that the plans were not filed with the National Capital Planning Commission, no environmental impact statement was prepared, and no congressional approval was given.
The preservation organization asked the court to halt work at the site until the project undergoes the "legally mandated review processes, including a public comment period."
"The White House is arguably the most evocative building in our country and a globally recognized symbol of our powerful American ideals," Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said in a statement. "As the organization charged with protecting places where our history happened, the National Trust was compelled to file this case."
In a statement, White House spokesperson David Ingle said that Trump "has full legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House — just like all of his predecessors did." January 8, 2026: Architect Shalom Baranes shared the construction plans with the National Capital Planning Commission.
Architect Shalom Baranes at a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission. Architect Shalom Baranes at a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The Washington Post reported that James McCrery II of McCrery Architects exited as lead architect of the White House ballroom and was replaced by Shalom Baranes of Shalom Baranes Associates, who renovated the Pentagon after the September 11 terrorist attacks. McCrery would remain a consultant on the project, the White House said.
"Shalom is an accomplished architect whose work has shaped the architectural identity of our nation's capital for decades and his experience will be a great asset to the completion of this project," White House spokesman Davis Ingle told The Post in a statement.
Baranes made his first public appearance since taking over the project at a National Capital Planning Commission meeting in January. He presented the plans for the East Wing Modernization Project to the 12-person commission — normally a required step for construction on federal buildings — three months after the East Wing had already been demolished.
The presentation revealed that the ballroom itself will measure 22,000 square feet, with 40-foot ceilings and enough space to seat 1,000 people. New offices, a commercial kitchen, and a reconstructed movie theater will also be built, with a total combined area of nearly 90,000 square feet. March 31, 2026: After a federal judge halted the ballroom's construction, Trump confirmed that a "massive" military complex was also being built.
President Donald Trump holds a rendering of the East Wing modernization while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. President Donald Trump holds a rendering of the East Wing modernization while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
US District Judge Richard Leon of the District of Columbia ruled that Trump must stop construction of the White House ballroom until the project receives congressional approval.
"The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families," the judge said. "He is not, however, the owner!"
While the judge's ruling halted above-ground construction, it allowed work related to "the safety and security of the White House" to continue. Trump confirmed this work was related to a new Presidential Emergency Operations Center, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the ballroom would sit above the new, "massive" secure facility.
"We have bio defense all over," he said. "We have secure telecommunications and communications all over. We have bomb shelters that we're building. We have a hospital and very major medical facilities that we're building. We have all of these things, so that's called: I'm allowed to continue building as necessary." April 2, 2026: The National Capital Planning Commission approved the ballroom design, though the judge's ruling requiring congressional approval remained in effect.
Official portraits of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on the wall outside a National Capital Planning Commission meeting. Official portraits of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on the wall outside a National Capital Planning Commission meeting. Al Drago/Getty Images
During the required public comment period, the National Capital Planning Commission received around 32,000 messages from across the US about Trump's planned ballroom — most of them negative, a March New York Times analysis found. Nevertheless, the commission voted to approve the East Wing Modernization Project. June 16, 2026: The Washington Post reported internal invoices show Clark Construction had estimated the ballroom's cost at $600 million.
Construction on the new White House ballroom. WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 30: Construction continues on a new helipad on the South Lawn of the White House and the East Wing ballroom on July 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. Kevin Carter/Getty Images
Citing internal documents from Clark Construction, The Washington Post reported that, in March, the contractor estimated the ballroom's total cost at $600 million — $200 million more than the figure shared by the White House.
The Washington Post also reported that while Trump had repeatedly said that no taxpayer money would be used to fund the ballroom, Clark Construction estimates showed that over half of the $600 million total construction cost was marked as coming from taxpayer-funded sources, including the US Secret Service, the White House Military Office, and the Executive Residence.
White House spokesman David Ingle told Business Insider that the initial press release announcing the construction of the ballroom had noted the project's coordination with the White House Military Office and the Secret Service.
"President Trump and generous American patriots are funding the ballroom to the tune of approximately $400 million, which will be a secure and appropriate venue for Presidents for generations to come," Ingle said.
A senior Trump administration official told Business Insider that while the ballroom "will be built with private donations the president has secured," security upgrades to the White House complex, totaling $385.8 million, will be apportioned as part of an interagency agreement.
"The administration and the president have been very clear about the need for additional security at the White House complex and the role the Secret Service, in addition to other White House components, will play in supporting the necessary security elements for the White House complex, including a new visitor screening center and other campus hardening measures," the senior official said. August 21, 2026: The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to allow above-ground construction to continue.
Ongoing East Wing ballroom construction at the White House. A view of the ongoing construction of the East Wing ballroom at the White House. Aaron Schwartz/AFP via Getty Images
The Supreme Court on Monday, in a 5-4 ruling, allowed the Trump administration to continue above-ground construction, staying a lower-court ruling from US District Judge Richard Leon that had halted the work.
The ruling came after the Trump administration made an emergency request to the Supreme Court to allow construction to continue despite the lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Chief Justice John Roberts had temporarily paused the lower court's injunction while the justices considered the request, but ultimately dissented with the Supreme Court's three liberal judges, saying: "Construction of the ballroom has proceeded apace for the better part of a year. That construction is likely unlawful."
Still, the court did not rule on the project's legality; it said that "the government is likely to prevail in showing that the Trust lacks Article III standing to challenge the project in federal court."
It's a win for the Trump administration, which has argued that completing the entire East Wing complex was "vitally required by national security" and that the project was already "65% finished," though government spending records reviewed by The Washington Post suggest the project is substantially less complete.
In late August, additional structures could be seen rising from the construction site.