Trump demolishes White House East Wing after saying he won't touch it

As roaring machinery tore down one side of the White House, President Donald Trump acknowledged Wednesday that he was having the entire East Wing demolished to make way for his 90,000-square-foot ballroom, a striking expansion of a project that is remaking the profile of one of the nation’s most iconic buildings.

Trump was unsentimental as news of the demolition spread. “It was never thought of as being much,” he said of the East Wing, which was home to the first lady’s office and spaces used for ceremonial purposes. “It was a very small building."

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The process of tearing down the East Wing was expected to be completed as soon as this weekend, two senior administration officials said, as Trump moved rapidly to carry out a passion project that he said was necessary to host state dinners and other events.

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But the previously unannounced decision to demolish the East Wing was at odds with Trump’s previous statements about the project, and underscored his intention to blast through the sensibilities of many in Washington to continue putting a lasting imprint on the White House.

The president also said Wednesday that the ballroom would cost $300 million, $100 million more than initially estimated.

“In order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure,” Trump said. He also said — somewhat cryptically — that “certain areas are being left.” But the two senior administration officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the plans, confirmed that the entire East Wing was being demolished.

The West Wing and the White House residence, where the president lives, are not affected by the project, which is the largest renovation to the White House in decades.

When Trump first announced his plans for the ballroom, he pledged that the East Wing would not be touched by the construction.

“It won’t interfere with the current building. It’ll be near it but not touching it,” he said in July. “And pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.”

Upon further evaluation, the White House determined it was cheaper and more structurally sound to demolish the East Wing than to build an addition, one of the administration officials said.

The planned size of the ballroom would transform the footprint of the White House campus. At 90,000 square feet, the ballroom would be nearly double the size of the White House residence, which is 55,000 square feet.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.