President Donald Trump has set an approximate completion date for the White House ballroom of before the end of his second term, telling guests at the Congressional Ball Thursday it will be finished in "about a year and a half."

Why it Matters

The announcement marks the latest update on the progress of the controversial demolition and reconstruction of the 123-year-old East Wing to make way for the new ballroom. The project signifies the first structural change to the Executive Mansion since the Truman balcony was added in 1948. Its initial size was set at 90,000 square feet by the White House but this has since been revised upward, Trump saying it will be double the size .

The $300 million privately-funded project has drawn scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers , conservationists, and

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