“We’re probably going to name it Presidential Ballroom or something like that,” Trump said, adding that he hasn’t thought about a name yet.
Satellite images show the demolition of the East Wing of the White House
Satellite images show the demolition of the east wing of the White House as construction begins on a new ballroom.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump says he will not name the new $300 million ballroom at the White House.
The president said he would call the 90,000-square-foot event space, which will demolish the entire historic East Wing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, “the Presidential Ballroom or something like that.”
Before departing for Asia on October 24, President Trump told reporters at the White House that he had no plans to name it after himself, and that he had not thought specifically about a name yet.
ABC News reported Friday that President Trump is likely to call the space, which can seat about 1,000 people and is smaller in size than the rest of the White House, the “Donald J. Trump Presidential Ballroom.”
Construction on the project began in earnest at the end of the third week, rapidly gearing up for the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Vivid photos of the East Wing’s demolition have stunned the nation in recent days, prompting criticism from prominent voices like Chelsea Clinton, who grew up in the White House, who accused President Trump of “destroying” history by not going through the proper channels to make major changes to the old structure.
Despite the legal and ethical issues, the White House says the renovations are being funded by Trump himself as well as prominent technology and cryptocurrency companies including Google, Meta and Coinbase. It’s unclear how much money each of the more than 30 contributors will donate.
Zachary Schermele is a Congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him at @ZachSchermele on X and @zachschermele.bsky.social on Bluesky..
