Preservation experts say President Donald Trump's push to add a $200 million, 90,000-square-foot state ballroom to the White House by 2029 risks sacrificing history for haste. The White House will begin the East Wing addition in September, a project that would be the mansion's largest structural change since the Truman Balcony.
What Happened: White House chief of staff Susie Wiles insisted the project will honor the building's past. "The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to [preserve] the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come," Wiles said.
