President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the controversial new White House ballroom, currently under construction, will be significantly larger than originally planned , with a capacity of 900 people—nearly 40 percent more than the initial 650-person design.

The expansion comes as construction has just begun on the $200 million project, which Trump discussed in a telephone interview with NBC News while heavy machinery and trucks were visible at the construction site.

Why It Matters

The ballroom represents the biggest change to the White House exterior since the East Wing was expanded under Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, marking a historic alteration to America's most iconic residence.

As a legacy project intended to serve future administrations, the ballroom will fun

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