The East Wing of the White House has been demolished. Here’s a look at its history

The East Wing of the White House has been demolished. Here’s a look at its history Politics Oct 24, 2025 3:35 PM EDT

The East Wing of the White House, the traditional headquarters for the first lady and her staff as well as the public entrance to the “people’s house,” was largely torn down this week to make way for President Donald Trump’s new $300 million ballroom.

Trump has touted the planned 90,000-square-foot space as an attempt to modernize the East Wing. Trump officials say the construction process is following legal and historical precedent.

But the images that emerged this week of construction equipment demolishing the facade have prompted outrage over the lack of oversight of the project and raised questions about its scope.

Two satellite views that show the East Wing of t