White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that construction will begin in September on a 90,000‑square‑foot ballroom to replace the current East Wing.
President Donald Trump has long argued the executive mansion lacks adequate space for major state functions and says the new venue will seat up to 650 guests.
The East Wing, which houses several offices including those of the first lady, will be relocated during the project. Leavitt said Trump and other donors have pledged about $200 million to fund the construction. She did not name any of the other donors.
A statement from the Trump administration stated, “The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance.”
Leavitt: We are proud to announce that the construction of the new white house ballroom will begin. From 150 years presidents, administrations, and white house staff have longed for a large event space on the white house complex that can hold substantially more guests pic.twitter.com/ys9mU64PQ2
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 31, 2025
It continued, “The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of innately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.”
It will mark the first major structural change to the Executive Mansion since the Truman Balcony was added decades ago. Trump has also made significant decorative changes to the Oval Office, incorporating gold accents, cherubs and other ornate touches, and has installed large flagpoles to display American flags on both the north and south lawns. Meanwhile, workers are completing a project to replace the Rose Garden’s lawn with stone.
During a separate announcement on Thursday, Trump responded to a question about the need for a new White House ballroom.
The president said, in part, “When it rains, it’s a disaster. People are schlopping [sic] to the tent. It’s not a pretty sight. The women with their lovely evening gowns, all of their hair all done, and they’re a mess by the time they get in. They’ve always wanted to have it.”
“In the first term, I said, if I get another shot at this, I’m going to do a ballroom. It will be a great legacy project. It will be special.”
“No government dollars, no,” Trump added.
Trump on the need for a new White House ballroom: “People are schlopping to the tent. It’s not a pretty sight. The women with their lovely evening gowns, all of their hair all done, and they’re a mess by the time they get in. They’ve always wanted to have it.” pic.twitter.com/NXBCbqMqJ2
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 31, 2025
The project is expected to be completed before the end of Trump’s term.
“President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail,” White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in a statement. She said the president and his White House are “fully committed” to working with the appropriate organizations to preserve 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.”
Associated Press
Donald Trump’s Rose Garden Changes
In June, President Trump directed a major overhaul of the iconic White House Rose Garden, removing the traditional grass lawn and replacing it with a concrete or stone hardscape modeled after the patio at his Mar‑a‑Lago estate. The transformation—underway by the National Park Service and privately funded—aims to make the space more practical for press events and formal gatherings, especially for guests in high heels.
The new surface, nearing completion by mid‑August, preserves the garden’s historic roses but removes the verdant lawn central to Jacqueline Kennedy’s 1961 design and First Lady Melania Trump’s 2020 renovation.
Critics have slammed the redesign as a drastic departure from tradition, while Trump and supporters frame it as necessary restoration and functional improvement.
Update: 7/31/25, 2:25 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 7/31/25, 4:06 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 7/31/25, 5:39 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
