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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Maya Yang

East Wing of White House reduced to rubble as part of Trump’s ballroom construction

a view of debris
Satellite view shows rubble where the East Wing of the White House once stood, on Thursday. Photograph: 2025 Planet Labs PBC/Reuters

The East Wing of the White House has now been completely destroyed to pave way for Donald Trump’s $300m planned gilded ballroom, just days after the administration announced it would happen and contradicting Trump’s earlier promise that the existing building would not be touched.

Satellite images on Friday showed the historic building’s eastern section reduced to rubble, to the outrage of historians, former White House officials and much of the public.

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