Satellite imagery has revealed the demolition of the White House’s historic East Wing. This significant alteration is being undertaken to clear the way for the construction of a planned new grand ballroom.
A striking satellite image, captured on October 23, 2025, by Planet’s SkySat constellation, reveals a dramatic transformation at the White House. From its high vantage point above Washington, D.C., the photograph shows the iconic East Wing having been demolished, leaving behind a field of rubble. This imagery underscores the ongoing development of the new Trump ballroom, an ambitious project slated to become a 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-meter) event space capable of accommodating over 900 guests.
Upon its completion, a new ballroom is expected to command attention, projected to be nearly twice the size of the White House itself. This ambitious development represents a substantial investment, with costs estimated at $300 million, according to the Associated Press.
President Trump announced via social media that the ballroom’s expenses are being covered through private funding. He specified the contributions were from “many generous Patriots,” “Great American Companies,” and his own personal financial backing.
A White House disclosure has revealed a comprehensive list of contributors, featuring both individual donors and prominent corporations. Among the corporate backers are tech giants Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, alongside aerospace firm Lockheed Martin, known for manufacturing the Orion spacecraft crucial to NASA’s Artemis program.
The ongoing construction has attracted criticism, particularly from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The privately funded nonprofit, which champions the preservation of historic buildings and sites throughout the United States, made its concerns public in an October 22 letter. In it, Carol Quillen, the Trust’s President and Chief Executive Officer, pressed the Trump Administration and the U.S. National Park Service to stop the demolition immediately, pending completion of the “legally required public review processes” for the administration’s plans.
Quillen further articulated the National Trust’s profound apprehension, stating that the proposed new construction’s considerable mass and height risk overwhelming the White House itself. The organization also warned that such a development could irrevocably compromise the iconic building’s meticulously balanced classical design, a harmony achieved through its two smaller, lower East and West Wings.
Initially envisioned by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902, the East Wing of the White House was constructed to serve as a distinguished formal entrance for guests and visitors. Decades later, in 1942, under the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the wing underwent a significant expansion. This enlargement had a crucial, covert objective: to conceal the ongoing construction of an emergency bunker. Concurrently, a small movie theater was also integrated into the updated structure that same year.
According to the New York Times, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt inaugurated a lasting tradition in the 1930s by transforming the East Wing into a central hub for official functions and her personal offices. Her pioneering decision to utilize the space for hosting guests and conducting her duties established a significant precedent, ensuring the wing’s continued utility for successive first ladies.
First Lady Melania Trump has maintained a notable silence regarding the East Wing’s demolition, consistently rebuffing requests for comment from media organizations.
