President Donald Trump tore down the East Wing of the White House in order to build a new ballroom, and he hasn’t been able to stop talking about it since.
Following a clash with his design team over his proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom, Trump pulled another power move, replacing the project’s lead architect — a step that makes his sudden emphasis on “identical height and scale” feel far from accidental.
He insists the ballroom is being funded by private donations and will serve as a space for state dinners and large events, but it’s what he said on social media that has everyone rolling their eyes.
The original architect, James McCrery II, reportedly urged restraint, warning that a ballroom of that magnitude would overwhelm the historic White House, putting him directly at odds with Trump’s maximalist vision. By December 2025, McCrery was gone, replaced by Shalom Baranes of Shalom Baranes Associates — and almost immediately, the president’s rhetoric softened.
The 79-year-old is known for his very large ego, and it was evident when he shared an AI image of what the finished ballroom will look like. He dubbed the new White House Ballroom, “The Greatest of its kind ever built!” — a linguistic pivot that read more like a strategic rewrite after the architect who warned it was too big was shown the door.
“This beautiful building will be, when complete, the much anticipated White House Ballroom — The Greatest of its kind ever built!” Trump began in a Truth Social Post.
“It is a rendering from the Treasury Building, directly across the street, and replaces the very small, dilapidated, and rebuilt many times, East Wing, with a magnificent New East Wing, consisting of a glorious Ballroom that has been asked for by Presidents for over 150 years,” Trump continued before contradicting himself.
The latest sketch rendering also introduced a new architectural feature missing from the original East Wing façade: a pediment above the columns. The triangular gable, first seen in White House renderings released in July, initially sat atop six columns.
“Being an identical height and scale, it is totally in keeping with our historic White House. This is the first rendering shown to the Public. If you notice, the North Wall is a replica of the North Facade of the White House, shown at the right hand side of the picture,” he droned on. “This space will serve our Country well for, hopefully, Centuries into the future! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The proposed 90,000-square-foot “New East Wing” and ballroom project carries an estimated $400 million price tag and would add a new office for the first lady along with a movie theater. Plans indicate the ballroom alone would be designed to accommodate up to 1,000 guests. His rhetoric has also changed, but some picked up on it.
In earlier remarks, size was the flex as Trump claimed, “It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it but not touching it – and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of. It’s my favourite place. I love it,” in July.
Reactions on social media were swift as people caught on to his egotistical post, and one X user remarked, “Trump posting AI slop as his own design. Is he a tech bro?”
Brand Breakdown: Trump’s New White House Ballroom Rendering
Pros:
• Pure classical symmetry = timeless prestige & power signaling• Matches WH aesthetic perfectly → seamless ‘legacy’ upgrade
• Grand scale screams ‘America First’ opulence
Cons:
• Massive footprint… pic.twitter.com/0aNn2tpGK4— CEO Branding Expert (@Ceo_Branding) February 3, 2026
Another user joked about Trump’s reputation for stiffing workers, wondering, “But will the contractors get paid?”
One person implied that the price tag for the ballroom was extravagant, much like the reputation of the 18th-century Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, “There’s a ‘Let them eat cake’ feel about this.” Another said, “Wow! It looks a lot like the spectacular Detroit Institute of Arts after their renovation. Stunning!”
However, at least one person thought Trump didn’t write the post, citing some of the wording looking nothing like what he would normally type, “There is no way he wrote this.”
Another asked, “He doesn’t have the word ‘facade’ in his vocabulary. Who wrote this?”
The estimated cost of Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom has risen from $200 million to $400 million, and a judge is considering halting construction of the monstrosity amid questions about whether the president needs congressional approval. The DOJ responded by claiming the project is a matter of “national security.”
Great Job Niko Mann & the Team @ Atlanta Black Star for sharing this story.
