A demolition crew takes apart the facade of the East Wing of the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed ballroom is being built, in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 21, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The full East Wing of the White House will be torn down to make way for President Donald Trump's new ballroom, an administration official said on Wednesday, despite Trump's earlier pledge that the project would not interfere with the existing landmark.

Demolition workers began tearing down the section of the White House that holds offices for the first lady and other staff on Monday. Trump announced that ground had been broken on the project after images of the demolition circulated in news reports, and the full extent of the tear-down only became clear two days later.

"We can confirm that the entire East Wing is going to be modernized and renovated to, I guess, support the ... ballroom project," the administration official said.

The official said the demolition process is likely to be finished within two weeks.

The action contradicts Trump's promise earlier this year that the ballroom project, which he has wanted to build for some time, would not touch the existing East Wing structure.

The demolition of part of one of the most historic buildings in the United States has drawn criticism and sadness from Trump's critics, including many Democrats. The White House has dismissed the criticism as "manufactured outrage."

The White House said on Tuesday it would submit plans for the ballroom construction for review by the National Capital Planning Commission, which oversees federal construction in Washington and neighboring states, even though demolition had already begun.

Trump's White House staff secretary, Will Scharf, chairs the NCPC. Scharf told Reuters on Wednesday that he had not been involved in the White House planning for the ballroom and would be able to look at it objectively when the plans came before the commission.

"I've played no role in, in the planning process here at the White House for the ballroom, and I take my duties as NCPC chairman very seriously," he said.

Asked whether he would be able to say no to Trump or other White House officials involved in the project given his dual role in both institutions, Scharf said yes.

"Do I have the ability to vote, in my capacity as an NCPC commissioner, separate from my duties in the White House? Yeah, absolutely. If I don't like a project, I'll vote against it. If I do like a project, I'll vote for it," he said.

The White House has not been able to say what entity, if any, had or should have had oversight of the tearing down of the East Wing. Scharf said the NCPC had responsibility for construction but not demolition.

Bryan Green, who served as an NCPC commissioner under Democratic President Joe Biden, told Reuters on Tuesday that demolition work and new construction should be linked as part of a building project review.

Scharf said he expected the National Park Service would be submitting the ballroom plans on the White House's behalf to the NCPC for review. There will be at least two, possibly three, open meetings with an opportunity for comment from the public, he said.

Scharf said he expected the review process for the ballroom to take roughly three months.

"It's a rigorous process," he said. "It's a process that, you know, in some cases can move quite quickly -- a matter of a couple months. In other cases we've had projects that take a lot longer."

The National Trust for Historic Preservation on Tuesday asked the Trump administration to pause the demolition until the planning commission review was completed. Its letter expressed concern that the proposed 90,000 square foot ballroom "will overwhelm the White House itself." The White House is 55,000 square feet.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Diane Craft and Daniel Wallis)