Trump Begins Major Changes in the East Wing

President Donald Trump conceded on Wednesday, as the clatter of bulldozers and cranes reverberated across the White House grounds, that the entire East Wing renovation was being demolished to make way for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. It is a vast addition to the more modest renovation that he initially proposed and one of the most significant White House changes in recent history.

Mr. Trump was unmoved by the news on Wednesday, characterising the East Wing as less important. “It was never thought of as being much,” he said, referring to the part of the White House that is home to the First Lady’s office and space for ceremonial events. “It was a very small building.”

Senior Trump administration officials have said the demolition will be completed by the weekend. The president has been working to quickly push through the controversial project, which he views as an essential renovation to host state dinners and other extravagant events.

The choice to gut the East Wing, though, runs counter to Mr. Trump’s previous insistence that no part of the White House would be impacted by Washington politics. It also underscores his will to change one of the nation’s most recognisable landmarks at a scale and speed that Washington normally approaches with a heavier dose of caution.

Mr. Trump also announced on Wednesday that the ballroom’s price tag had increased to $300 million, a jump of $100 million from previous estimates. “In order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure,” he said. The president also claimed, without offering details, that “certain areas are being left,” even as senior officials later clarified that the entire East Wing would be razed.

The rest of the White House, including the West Wing and presidential residence, is not being touched by the ballroom construction.