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By Marni Rose McFall
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President Donald Trump has revealed major changes to the White House in a video on Truth Social.
The video, which runs for less than a minute, shows the White House over the years, beginning in 1800. After showing the changes over the years, it moves to the year 2026 and teases major changes, from an arena to the ballroom.
Why It Matters
The president has directed a number of major renovation projects since the beginning of his second term, in moves which have at times proved controversial, and marked some of the most major alterations to the White House in recent years, the fundamentals of which have remained largely unchanged since the 1948-52 reconstruction under President Harry Truman.
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The Recent Changes
He redesigned the previously minimalist Oval Office, in what marked some of the most significant changes to the room’s appearance in modern presidential history, and then also paved over the iconic White House Rose Garden, renovations which saw the lawn entirely replaced with a white, concrete patio featuring diamond-shaped plates.
But one of the most significant projects has been the ballroom.
The project was officially announced in August of 2025, with the White House confirming that construction was set to begin on a new 90,000 square feet state ballroom at the president's official residence, a project that Trump has spent years pushing for. Backlash to the project came in October, after the East Wing was suddenly demolished to make space for the ballroom.
What To Know
An Ultimate Fighting Championship event is set to take place at the White House–details of which are yet to be officially confirmed. Trump plans to build a 100,000-seat stadium to host the fight, which will be on his birthday.
The video appears to offer a preview of this, and the White House lawns opening up to become a massive arena.
The president recently told reporters, “UFC’s coming, as you know, in front of the White House, where they’re building, literally, a stadium. We’re gonna have over 100,000 people. This is gonna have a lot of…I won’t even say how many people because I think it can set a record for racing. It’s gonna be very, very important.”
The video then shows the ballroom in the reconstructed East Wing. People go in and out of the building, and the video then zooms into an American flag.
People have criticized the construction projects at the White House, particularly as economic concerns were already high, but have been significantly exacerbated by the Iran war, and the chances of a recession continue to rise.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social on February 10: “When completed, it will be the finest ballroom ever built anywhere in the world, one that has been sought by presidents for over 150 years—and now they are getting THE BEST! Because of its unprecedented structural, safety, and security features, it will also be used for future Presidential Inaugurations.”
Travis Akers, a retired U.S. Navy Officer, in post on X: “As the U.S. is at war with Iran, gas prices are surging, and inflation is heating up again, Donald Trump wants to build a 100,000 seat stadium for UFC?!”
The press office for California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a post on X: “While your gas prices spike because of his war, Trump is focused on the kitchen-table issues that matter—like whether he should use marble or onyx on his ballroom.”
What Happens Next
Above-ground construction on the ballroom will begin as early as April.
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