The East Wing could fully be demolished soon, as preservationists urge caution

Tamara Keith

Saige Miller

October 23, 2025 / 10:55 am

The entire East Wing of the White House could be fully demolished as soon as this weekend. A White House official not authorized to speak on the record tells NPR the demolition phase of President Trump's project to build a 90,000 square foot ballroom, is ahead of schedule.

Although Trump initially said the project wouldn't "interfere with the current building" and would be "near it but not touching it," he explained Wednesday that "in order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure."

The scope of the project has alarmed preservationists who urged a more thorough review of the privately-funded plans.

The White House official said t

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