Video shows White House East Wing demolition
Video shows White House East Wing demolition
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Demolition of the White House East Wing began yesterday as President Donald Trump adds a $200 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
CNN observed an excavator tearing down portions of the East Wing, and close-up video and images captured areas of the roof torn down and an excavator tearing through the interior.
Renderings released earlier by the White House showed that the ballroom, which the administration has said will be funded by Trump and other private donors, would be built over this area. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said over the summer that the “state ballroom” would occupy space housing the East Wing of the executive mansion, where first ladies have traditionally maintained offices.
The project fulfills a 15-year ambition by the president to construct an event space on the White House grounds that expands the building’s entertaining capacity — but also resembles the gilded spaces of his private clubs. The ballroom is just one part of Trump’s efforts to transform the buildings and grounds to his liking, which have included adding large flagpoles, paving over the Rose Garden, and decorating the Oval Office in gold.
Staffers asked to not share photos: Staff at the Treasury Department received an email yesterday instructing them to refrain from taking and sharing photos of the construction, according to a department official.
The email was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
In a statement to CNN, a treasury spokesperson added: “Carelessly shared photographs of the White House complex during this process could potentially reveal sensitive items, including security features or confidential structural details. Out of an abundance of caution, we have urged our employees to avoid sharing these images.”
Read more details here about Trump’s plans for the White House.
This post has been updated with additional details.
