The historic East Wing of the White House has been completely demolished as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to build a $300 million ballroom. This demolition comes just days after construction began and reverses Trump’s earlier promise that no existing White House structures would be removed. Images of rubble at the president’s residence have drawn criticism from historians and former White House staff. Despite the backlash, the administration dismissed the concerns as “manufactured outrage.” The East Wing, originally called the East Terrace, was first built during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency in 1902. Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded it in 1942 to provide additional workspace and to hide an underground bunker for the president and staff. Over time, it became the office of the first lady and the site of the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. Located across East Executive Avenue from the Treasury Department, the East Wing served as the social entrance for visitors attending events at the White House. The original plan for Trump’s ballroom was to leave the wing intact as a mingling space before guests entered the new ballroom. However, officials later confirmed that the entire East Wing would be torn down, a process completed by last Friday. Trump has argued that the White House requires a larger event space, citing the East Room’s 200-person capacity as insufficient. The new ballroom, at 90,000 square feet, will nearly double the size of the main White House and can host up to 999 guests. Renderings suggest the new space will closely resemble the gilded ballroom at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The administration says the ballroom will be ready for use well before Trump’s current term ends in January 2029, an ambitious timeline for such a large project. Trump emphasized that the construction will not cost taxpayers, stating it is funded by “generous patriots, great American companies, and yours truly.” Donors include major tech companies like Apple, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google, as well as defense and communications firms including Lockheed Martin, Palantir, T-Mobile, and Comcast. Construction began despite the absence of approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal agency responsible for overseeing major renovations to government buildings. Images of debris and twisted steel at the White House have sparked concern among historians and public figures. Former presidential speechwriter David Frum criticized the project, saying it symbolizes Trump using public assets for private purposes with political allies’ support. The National Trust for Historic Preservation requested a pause in demolition until a planning commission review could take place. Experts warned that the ballroom could overshadow the historic White House. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley described the demolition as “painful, almost like slashing a Rembrandt painting or defacing a Michelangelo sculpture.” Trump adviser Stephen Miller defended the demolition on Fox News, calling the East Wing “cheaply built” and in need of renovation. He argued it was not an original part of the White House structure. Presidents have long altered the White House to meet functional and aesthetic needs. Thomas Jefferson added east and west colonnades, while Andrew Jackson built the North Portico and James Monroe added the South Portico. Theodore Roosevelt created the West Wing, and Franklin D. Roosevelt added the East Wing. One of the most controversial renovations occurred under Harry Truman from 1948 to 1952, when the mansion was gutted due to structural problems. John F. Kennedy created the Rose Garden, and Richard Nixon converted FDR’s indoor swimming pool into workspace for the press corps. Trump’s ballroom project continues this tradition of altering the White House, though critics argue the East Wing demolition may mark a historic loss for the residence’s social and cultural heritage.