Trump Denies Naming New Ballroom After Himself
On Friday, President Trump refuted claims regarding the naming of a new ballroom in the White House that replaces the demolished East Wing.
A report from ABC News earlier mentioned that the 90,000-square-foot ballroom was to be called the “Donald J. Trump Presidential Ballroom.” However, Trump told reporters, “I’m not going to report it in my name. That was fake news. We’re probably going to call it the Presidential Ballroom or something like that. I haven’t thought much about the name yet.”
ABC News also noted that the White House raised $350 million for the ballroom’s construction—an increase from the previously estimated $300 million. Trump indicated that part of this funding might be diverted toward a proposed arch near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
“You know, we’re going to build an arc,” Trump said. “And we raised a lot of money for the ballroom, so maybe we’ll donate it— the Ark is going to be incredibly great for Washington, D.C., so maybe we’ll use it for the Ark.”
Last week, excavators took down the East Wing to make way for the ballroom, which is expected to be completed by the end of Trump’s term in 2029.
Reactions to the demolition and the new banquet hall have been mixed. Many, including preservationists and former residents of the White House, have expressed discontent. Recent YouGov polls reveal that just over half of Americans oppose the demolition.
USA Today highlighted an editorial by Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Clinton, who criticized the construction as “a reflection of how easily history can be erased when power forgets purpose.”
Clinton wrote, “This is what happens when you bring a wrecking ball to our heritage.”
Michael LaRosa, who served as press secretary for former first lady Jill Biden, called the previous space “sad” and “heartbreaking.” He remarked, “I think there’s no question that we probably need a banquet hall, but I understand a lot of the sadness around the East Wing because I feel it myself.”
The East Wing’s history goes back to the early 1800s, when President Thomas Jefferson added two colonnades to the Executive Mansion. At the time, his additions faced criticism from Federalists, who viewed them as indicative of Jefferson’s “aristocratic tendencies,” as documented by the White House Historical Society.
A complete renovation of the White House occurred in 1902 under President Teddy Roosevelt, whose cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt later transformed the East Wing into office space for White House staff, including the first lady and social secretary.
The space included a movie theater, famously used by several presidents such as Reagan, Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama.
In 1942, Roosevelt also established a bunker beneath the East Wing, known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center. Officials from the Bush administration utilized the bunker after the 9/11 attacks, and Trump accessed it during the George Floyd protests in 2020.
FDR’s efforts regarding the East Wing also faced criticism, particularly as the nation was involved in World War II, highlighting how political priorities can influence historical preservation.
