A video revealing the model version of President Donald Trump‘s plan to build an enormous ballroom on the White House grounds has sparked renewed scrutiny over its size.
Trump is moving forward with plans to construct a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, nearly double the size of the existing executive mansion, drawing criticism from preservationists and sparking a legal battle over the project’s scale and impact.
“If he ever gets it built, the next step will be to demolish the remaining White House and build something tasteless and grandiose that matches the ballroom,” one X user predicts.
The $300 million addition, expected to be completed in the summer of 2028, will come just months before Trump is slated to leave office, according to an environmental assessment prepared by the National Park Service in late August.
The assessment outlines several concerns tied to the ballroom’s size.
“The new building’s larger footprint and height will dominate the eastern portion of the site, creating a visual imbalance with the more modestly scaled West Wing and Executive Mansion,” the report states. It warns that the structure will “disrupt the historical continuity of the White House grounds and alter the architectural integrity of the east side of the property.”
Nevertheless, the report concludes that the space could be useful for hosting large gatherings and that perpetual changes to the White House have been part of its history. It adds that the project “will not result in a significant adverse impact on historic buildings.”
During a Tuesday hearing in Washington, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon denied a motion by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily halt construction, but he imposed strict limitations on the project.
Leon said the nonprofit had not demonstrated irreparable harm sufficient to stop construction, yet he barred crews from building any below-ground structures over the next two weeks, warning that violations could result in the White House being “forced to take it down.”
The judge also required the government to submit construction plans to the National Capital Planning Commission by year’s end. The Justice Department confirmed that the administration has made “initial outreach” to schedule meetings regarding the submissions.
The National Trust filed the first major lawsuit against Trump’s administration to block the ballroom, arguing that no president is permitted to alter the White House “without any review whatsoever” or to construct a ballroom on public property “without giving the public an opportunity to weigh in.”
Internal disputes over the project have emerged as well. Trump reportedly clashed with his handpicked architect, James McCrery II, over the size of the ballroom. According to four unnamed sources cited by The Washington Post, Trump’s vision of a 90,000-square-foot addition conflicted with McCrery’s advice that the expansion could overshadow the 55,000-square-foot mansion, violating a basic architectural principle of keeping additions subordinate to the main building.
A White House official acknowledged disagreements but characterized them as “constructive dialogue.”
“As with any building, there is a conversation between the principal and the architect,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “All parties are excited to execute on the president’s vision on what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office.” McCrery was replaced on the project this month by another architect.
Trump’s intense focus on the project underscores his personal vision. Multiple administration officials have reported that he has micromanaged design and material choices and that a model of the ballroom is a regular fixture in the Oval Office. In his first ten months of a second term, Trump has pursued a campaign to remake the White House in a gilded style, executing changes unilaterally and reflecting a “who’s-going-to-stop-me” approach honed over decades as a real estate developer.
Critics on social media have been vocal.
“Face it, it isn’t a ballroom, it is a temple to himself,” one person commented on an X post that shared photos of Trump with scale models showing the planned ballroom dwarfing the White House.
Another noted, “Because that part will have his name on it.”
A third added, “This really reminds me of the way pharaohs tried to make themselves more impressive and eternal, because they were narcissists who feared death and what would happen to the things their ego worries about, even after death. Given time in office, there will be statues – v plural.”
The ballroom project follows the demolition of the East Wing, which began in late October.
Trump initially claimed the structure wouldn’t “interfere with the current building. … It will be near it but not touching it.” Less than a month later, the plans were revised to include the deconstruction of the existing East Wing, reflecting a rapid escalation of the project’s scale.
The ballroom, if completed as planned, represents one of the most significant alterations to the White House in its 233-year history. With ongoing legal challenges and regulatory scrutiny, the project remains a focal point of debate over presidential authority, historical preservation, and the line between public property and personal ambition.
According to the NPS assessment, the new ballroom will connect to the executive mansion via a bi-level corridor and feature a white-painted exterior, historically compatible windows and doors, an architecturally consistent roof, stone slab flooring, decorative plaster moldings, and high-quality finishes for elevator cabs.
The East Wing’s function as the visitors’ entrance for tours and formal events will continue, and new ground-floor restrooms will support South Lawn gatherings.
The assessment also documented environmental and structural considerations. Trees and shrubs, including commemorative Southern Magnolias planted in the 1940s, will be removed.
Views of the White House from Lafayette Park and the Ellipse will change, though the vista toward the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial remains unaffected. Construction vibrations could affect the Executive Mansion’s stability, and heavy equipment will necessitate grass replacement and road repaving. The East Garden will be dismantled and preserved for potential reinstallation.
