The First Lady has privately shared concerns with close associates about President Trump’s demolition of the White House East Wing, making clear she did not initiate the project, administration officials said in a report dated October 25, 2025.
Excavators began tearing down the Roosevelt-era structure this week to clear space for a massive 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The demolition marks a reversal of President Trump’s earlier pledge to preserve the historic wing during construction, as he had initially promised the ballroom would be built beside the existing structure without touching it.
The project’s estimated price tag has jumped from $200 million to at least $300 million, though President Trump maintains private donations will fund the entire effort. The planned ballroom now will hold 900 people, an increase from the initial 650-person capacity, and will span nearly twice the square footage of the White House’s 55,000-square-foot main building.
Photos of heavy machinery demolishing the building emerged this week and rapidly circulated across social media, generating intense public backlash. The destruction has been reported as visible from space.
The demolished section houses the Office of the First Lady, the East Colonnade, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. Melania Trump has issued no public statement regarding the removal of these historic areas.
Stephanie Grisham, the First Lady’s former chief of staff who has become a Trump administration critic, told CNN the East Wing’s destruction is distressing. She highlighted how quickly the project moved forward, circumventing normal White House renovation protocols, and said she was shocked the demolition took just days.
The Trump administration has not yet submitted ballroom plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal agency that must approve and supervise construction on federal properties. Will Scharf, whom Trump named as chair of the planning commission, said last month that demolition requires no approval, though construction does.
On October 21, the National Trust for Historic Preservation sent a letter urging the White House to halt demolition until plans undergo review. The organization warned that the new construction’s size and height could dwarf the White House and undermine its classical architecture, which features the smaller East and West Wings.
The letter emphasized: “As we approach the 250th Anniversary of our country’s founding, the preservation of historic places that represent our nation’s history has never been more relevant or important.”
When Reuters reporter Jeff Mason questioned President Trump about the project’s transparency during a press interaction on October 23, the president responded defensively, stating: “I haven’t been transparent? Really? I’ve shown this to everybody that would listen. Third-rate reporters didn’t see it because they didn’t look.”
However, sources previously told People magazine that Melania Trump backed the remodeling plans because they would make the presidential residence resemble their Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Both Donald and Melania Trump prefer Palm Beach and are importing a similar aesthetic to Washington, D.C.
A Mar-a-Lago club member told People that the Trumps take pride in their Florida home’s design and enjoy showcasing it, noting that President Trump personally contributed to the decor at their Florida residence.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the project, stating that President Trump is dedicated to enhancing the White House without taxpayer expense. Ingle emphasized that the upgrades are intended to benefit future presidents and American visitors to the People’s House.
The demolition is happening during a prolonged government shutdown that has forced hundreds of thousands of federal employees, including air traffic controllers and TSA agents, to work without pay.
Officials have stated that the East Wing offices will be reconstructed as part of the ongoing project.
The First Lady and the White House have not responded to requests for comment regarding Melania Trump’s reported concerns. Melania Trump primarily resides in New York and has seldom attended official events at the White House since her husband’s return to the presidency.