Prime Highlights
- President Trump to construct a $200 million White House ballroom to host 650 guests.
- Construction will commence in September 2025 and will be funded privately.
Key Fact
- Biggest White House structural expansion since the Truman Balcony in 1948.
- Ballroom to act as an alternative to outdoor tents for hosting major official functions.
Key Background
President Trump on Friday unveiled a plan for a $200 million expansion of the White House with a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The new structure will accommodate up to 650 guests, as opposed to the 200-seat East Room now. The new structure will allow for grand formal functions without having to erect temporary tents, traditionally used as arenas for high-profile events.
The ballroom will be built at the same time with the East Wing. This is the wing used to accommodate First Lady’s offices and visitor facilities. The building will relocate the offices, which will be refurbished for building purposes. The project will, however, preserve the historic White House original structure, hence preserving its traditional appearance while enhancing on modern comfort in comparison to state ceremonies and grand events.
Trump made that none of the taxpayor dollars will be used to fund the expansion. Instead, the job will be financed by Trump and a coalition of private “patriot donors” who would rather not have their identity revealed. The construction starts in September 2025 and is anticipated to finish well before the end of Trump’s second term, in 2029.
The project was formulated by McCrery Architects and is being executed by Clark Construction and is the largest White House structural overhaul in more than 70 years. The ballroom will be an anchored site for state dinners, receptions, and high-stakes events, the realization of Trump’s vision of building something enduring at the presidential home. It also continues his previous renovation, including the redesigning of the Rose Garden and the installation of flashy flagpoles.
This expansion is a reflection of Trump’s continued drive to leave his own personal imprint on the White House, blending his own way of getting things done with pragmatically minded innovations to reshape how future administrations will party.
