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History of the West Wing amid WH Ballroom
Political Historian Rich Rubino takes us through the history of the West Wing as President Trump looks to add a new White House Ballroom.
President Donald Trump on Friday touted the progress of the White House’s planned $400 million ballroom, saying the massive project is moving ahead of schedule and will become "the finest facility of its kind" in the country.
Trump shared the news on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump gives update on White House ballroom construction
What they're saying:
"China has a Ballroom, and so should the U.S.A.!," Trump wrote. " It’s under construction, ahead of schedule, and will be the finest facility of its kind anywhere in the U.S.A."
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He added, "Thank you for all the support I have been given in getting this project going. Scheduled opening will be around September of 2028."
Workers are seen at the site of the White House ballroom construction on April 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Credit: Matt McClain/Getty Images)
The completion of the project would come just months before the president leaves office.
White House ballroom latest
The backstory:
The White House announced the ballroom project last summer, and in October, Trump posted on Truth Social to say ground had been broken on the ballroom construction.
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"Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!" he wrote.
"For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!" he continued.
Big picture view:
A 90,000-square-foot, glass-walled space is being added to accommodate 999 people, up from an approximate 200-person capacity in the East Room, which is currently the largest room in the White House.
The White House has been pushing back against criticism of the ballroom plan by noting the history of add-ons to the Executive Mansion during its more than 200-year existence.
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A White House spokesperson told Newsweek that President Trump has "full legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify" the building.
Last month, the Trump administration was quick to seize upon last month’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner as an example of why the proposed ballroom for the East Wing is so important.
RELATED: Push for White House ballroom accelerated by Correspondents’ Dinner shooting
Speaking to reporters, many of whom were still in the tuxedos and ball gowns they wore to the dinner, Trump described the Washington Hilton, where the event was held, as not very secure and argued for the ballroom.
"I didn’t want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we are planning at the White House," Trump continued. "It’s actually a larger room and much more secure. It’s drone-proof. It’s got bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom."
The Source: The information for this story was provided by Donald Trump’s Truth Social account. This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press, previous FOX Local reporting contributed.