White House ballroom proposal approved by panel of Trump appointees

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a panel composed of President Donald Trump’s appointees, on Thursday approved his plan to build a ballroom larger than the White House itself on the former East Wing site.

What we know:

The meeting was expected to focus on design changes, with a final vote planned for next month. But Chairman Rodney Mims Cook Jr. moved to hold the final vote immediately, and six of the seven commissioners, all appointed by Trump this year, voted yes both times. Commissioner James McCrery did not vote because he served as the project’s initial architect.

"Our sitting president has actually designed a very beautiful structure," Cook said before the voting. "The United States just should not be entertaining the world in tents."

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Cook echoed Trump’s argument that a permanent ballroom would eliminate the long‑standing practice of erecting temporary structures on the South Lawn for state dinners and other events.

He added that no previous president had taken steps to address that "until President Trump."

The project will next go before the National Capital Planning Commission in March.

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At the commission’s January meeting, some members questioned the "immense" scale of the design even as they broadly supported Trump’s push for a ballroom nearly twice the size of the White House.

Several suggested changes were incorporated and welcomed by commissioners on Thursday.

Trump’s October decision to demolish the East Wing sparked public outcry after work began without the independent reviews, congressional approval or public comment typically required for even minor changes to historic federal buildings.

What's next:

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued in federal court to halt construction, and a ruling is pending.

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The National Capital Planning Commission, led by one of Trump’s top White House aides, is scheduled to take up the project again on March 5. The commission oversees construction and major renovations to federal buildings in the region.