Tearing down part of the White House’s East Wing was not on most people’s bingo card. But that demolition began Monday, as part of President Donald Trump’s plans to build a $250 million ballroom.
The project looks to add a 90,000-square-foot ballroom fitted with glass walls, and offer the ability to seat hundreds of guests. Construction is expected to wrap before the end of Trump’s current term.
One person stunned by the images of the backhoe tearing into the facade of the East Wing was Douglas Brinkley, the official presidential historian for the New York Historical Society.
“Maybe it’s just the dislike of change on my part, but it seemed painful, almost like slashing a Rembrandt painting,” Brinkley said. “Or defacing a Michelangelo’s sculpture.”
But, renovations to the Executive Mansion aren’t unheard of. In fact, it’s been done many times over the years.
In 1948, President Harry Truman and his wife Bess were forced to leave the White House for nearly four years over fears it would collapse due to poor structural support following the 1814 fire.
Additionally, plumbing, lighting and heating upgrades carried out between 1902 and 1927 raised concerns about the building’s longevity, according to the White House Historical Association.
“They moved into the Blair House across the street to let things be done properly. Because all buildings you renovate, but you don’t wrecking ball them,” Brinkley said.
However, the White House moved ahead with the construction project despite not having sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves construction work and major renovations to government buildings in the D.C. area. Commission Chairman Will Scharf, who is also the White House staff secretary, said during a public meeting in September that the board does not have jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation work for buildings on federal property.
“Trump has gone that way with everything he does,” Brinkley said. “In a hurry up, get it done before commissions, boards, Congress (or) the public have a say.”
Over the years, Brinkley has written numerous books, including on former presidents John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and as well as both Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Former first lady Nancy Reagan personally chose Brinkley to edit a book of President Ronald Reagan’s diaries.
Brinkley, who is also a history professor at Rice University, criticized the Trump administration’s construction project.
“It’s part and parcel of him wanting to be on Mount Rushmore or getting an ‘Arc de Triomphe’ for Trump in Washington, or putting his face on a new coin,” Brinkley said. “It’s about really extravagant self-aggrandizement.”
Brinkley said he’s not opposed to renovating the Executive Mansion or finding ways to address a ballroom issue, but he said it shouldn’t be done to “make the White House into a Trump image.”
“With the refixings and refurbishing in the gold, gold, gold, gold. You know, it doesn’t sit well with me as a presidential historian,” Brinkley said.
While he did admit the issue may be his dislike for change, Brinkley said at the end of the day, Trump is president.
“He’s done it. The hope is, I guess we all get used to it,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
