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By Toby Meyjes
News Editor
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A new set of photographs has revealed the progress made by workers on the ongoing demolition and reconstruction of the White House East Wing to make way for President Donald Trump's new ballroom.
The photographs, taken by Getty Images on December 8, show construction workers on site among the rubble of where the 123-year-old East Wing once stood.
They are the first set of images taken after Trump said the ballroom had doubled in size. They were captured weeks after an aerial set of pictures taken from the newly reopened Washington Monument revealed work was already well underway on the project.
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Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email outside regular working hours.
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Why It Matters
Trump said in a post on Truth Social on December 6 that the project will be double the size originally anticipated, but is ahead of schedule and under budget. The White House had previously said in July, when announcing the project, that it would be completed "long before" the end of the president's second term and cost approximately $200 million. Trump later revised the price tag to $300 million when discussing the privately funded project in the Oval Office in October.
The original release stated the ballroom would be 90,000 square feet, though no new specifications have been provided since the president's recent update. It was confirmed last week that Trump has selected Shalom Baranes to replace James McCrery II as the chief architect.
The project has proved controversial and attracted criticism from Democratic lawmakers, conservationists, and architectural preservation groups, as it involves a building of significant historical heritage. It is therefore likely that any photographic update will attract both interest and scrutiny.
The administration has dismissed pushback against the expansion as "manufactured outrage" from "unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies." It says the space will be a "bold" and "necessary" addition to keep the "executive residence as a beacon of American excellence."
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What To Know
The latest photos by Getty Images' Chip Somodevilla show construction in progress at the East Wing site, with heavy machinery and crews visible throughout. The photos from November had already indicated that the former East Wing footprint has been largely stripped down, with nearly all remnants of the old structure cleared away.
Construction began in September 2025, shortly before the government shutdown that closed the Washington Monument, from which the project's full scope is now visible again.
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What People Are Saying
The White House, in a statement on October 21: "In the latest instance of manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House — a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions from commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence as a beacon of American excellence."
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on December 6: "Caitlin Collins of Fake News CNN, always Stupid and Nasty, asked me why the new Ballroom was costing more money than originally thought one year ago. I said because it is going to be double the size, and the quality of finishes and interiors has been brought to the highest level. Also, the column SPAN has been substantially increased for purposes of viewing.
"It is actually under budget and ahead of schedule, as my jobs always are. It’s just much bigger and more beautiful than originally planned. Interestingly, and seldom reported, there are no taxpayer dollars involved. It is being fully paid for by private donations. FAKE NEWS CNN, and the guy who runs the whole corrupt operation that owns it, is one of the worst in the business. Their ratings are so low that they’re not even counted or relevant anymore. MAGA!!!"
What Happens Next
The White House is expected to submit final design plans for the ballroom to the National Capital Planning Commission before the end of the year. Chairman Will Scharf said the designs will go through the review process at a "normal and deliberative pace."
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