Almost the entire east wing of the White House was demolished to make way for Trump’s new ballroom.Image: keystone
March 6, 2026, 4:01 p.mMarch 6, 2026, 4:01 p.m
After numerous complaints about Donald Trump’s ballroom plan for the White House, final approval for the construction project is still pending.
According to US media, the decision of the responsible planning commission NCPC was actually expected for Thursday, but instead the committee announced its final vote for April 2nd.
Commission chairman and Trump advisor Will Scharf cited the numerous public comments received as the reason. According to CNN, there were 32,000 comments – the vast majority of which clearly rejected the construction project.
Last October, the US President had the east wing of the White House in Washington torn down in order to build a ballroom in its place that can accommodate around 1,000 guests.
Lawsuit against the ballroom construction is ongoing
The aim is to give people more space to make their voices heard, NBC News quoted the commission chairman as saying. Hours later, Scharf contradicted reports that the vote had been postponed, saying that April 2 had long been the date set for it.
A lawsuit filed by the United States’ leading monument protection organization has been pending against the construction project since December. The organization National Trust for Historic Preservation describes the ongoing construction work on the historic site as illegal and is calling for construction to be stopped.
Trump began the demolition work during the so-called shutdown, when all authorities in Washington were paralyzed. The hall is expected to cost around $300 million and retain the neoclassical style of the presidential residence. It should be finished before the end of Trump’s term in office. (sda/dpa/fwa)