A stark White House note reading 'Life safety — big concern' has exposed fresh concerns over Donald Trump's planned ballroom, months after its original architect reportedly warned that early designs lacked adequate emergency exits and fire-containment measures.
The 30 September 2025 note was recorded during a White House meeting reviewing the ballroom design, according to documents obtained and reviewed by The Washington Post. It was not the only warning.
Weeks after architect James McCrery II left the project, another White House note reportedly read: 'Life safety — needs POTUS buy-in.'
Together, the records provide a glimpse into safety concerns being discussed inside the project as Trump's ambitious ballroom took shape.
'Life Safety — Big Concern'
The September meeting focused on 'areas of concern' and comments from contractors working on the project. Among the White House official's notes was the warning: 'Life safety — big concern.'
The concerns continued into November. A 6 November meeting note reportedly recorded: 'Life safety — needs POTUS buy-in.'
The Washington Post reported that White House officials continued discussing life-safety issues and a code review for months after McCrery's departure. The newspaper could not determine from the records whether that review was ever completed.
The Safety Warnings
McCrery, a classical architect and professor at the Catholic University of America, was selected by Trump to design the above-ground portion of the ballroom.
According to two people familiar with their discussions and documents reviewed by The Washington Post, McCrery warned that the preliminary design did not provide adequate routes for guests to escape quickly during an emergency.
He also raised concerns about insufficient alternative exits and limited measures to prevent a kitchen fire from rapidly spreading into the event space above.
The concerns emerged as Trump pushed for a dramatically larger ballroom, creating additional challenges for the White House ballroom design.
Trump's Expanding Vision
Trump was deeply involved in the early design process, according to people familiar with the project and documents reviewed by The Washington Post.
Draft plans contained handwritten markings that appeared to be Trump's, including changes involving columns, doors, service corridors and stairs. One early sketch for a ballroom seating 640 people was expanded with Sharpie markings, while proposed service corridors and two sets of service stairs were crossed out.
The plans later grew to accommodate more than 1,300 guests, with Trump pushing for a ballroom nearly twice the size of the historic mansion, according to the Post.
'I Am the Code'
The most significant detail comes from Trump's reported response to McCrery's warnings.
The two people familiar with the discussions told The Washington Post that Trump dismissed the architect's concerns and said building codes did not apply to White House construction. The newspaper said the accounts were supported by documents it reviewed.
The first architect of the White House ballroom resigned after warning repeatedly that Trump was insisting on designs that violated fire and safety codes, the Washington Post reports.
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 23, 2026
“I am the code,” Trump said https://t.co/mXokddKRMe pic.twitter.com/rIxHwjIrms
Trump allegedly replied: 'I am the code.' The remark was reported by the Post based on those accounts and documents.
Why McCrery Left
McCrery withdrew from the project in October 2025, with documents placing his resignation during the week of 20 October, when demolition of the former East Wing began.
However, McCrery has not said that safety concerns caused his departure. In a statement through a spokesman, he said he had completed the earliest designs before stepping aside and that another firm was engaged.
The White House has rejected any connection between his departure and code issues, calling that suggestion 'factually false and totally inaccurate'. It said life-safety issues had been addressed as the design evolved.
What Happens to the Safety Concerns?
Shalom Baranes Associates subsequently took over the project. Shalom Baranes, the firm's founding principal, said the current ballroom complex has been designed to conform to applicable national building-code standards.
Clark Construction, the project's general contractor, has also said it follows applicable building codes and life-safety requirements.
The controversy therefore centres on what happened during the ballroom's early design phase and how those concerns were addressed afterwards.
The White House records show that 'life safety' was flagged internally as a major concern in September 2025 and remained part of project discussions in November. The Post reported that it could not establish whether the subsequent code review was completed.
With construction continuing, the unanswered questions are when the early safety concerns were resolved, what changes were made to the design and what the final code review concluded.
