East Wing of White House Torn Down as Trump Clears Space for His Ballroom

Discussion Questions

1. What will be built in place of the East Wing? What process did the White House follow regarding seeking advice from historical preservation groups about the East Wing's demolition?
2. Why doesn't the White House have stricter preservation restrictions on construction and renovation projects, according to this story?
3. When was the last major construction project of the White House?
4. How does the demolition of the East Wing differ from past construction projects?
5. Who is paying for the new construction? (see the list at end of article: Who’s paying for Trump’s $300 million ballroom?)

Extension Activity: Then and Now

Then:

The original executive mansion, or home for the president of the United States, was built starting in 1792, and used enslaved laborers for its construction. However, this structure was burned down by British soldiers during the War of 1812. The watercolor below was painted by artist George Munger and depicts the original executive mansion still smoldering from the fire.

In the image, it is clear that at the time, the landscape around the executive mansion was more rural than urban.

Architect James Hoban redesigned the home and President James Madison moved in to the new building, also built by enslaved people, in 1817. The home was informally called the "White House" early on due to its white washed appearance but wasn't formally called that until President Theodore Roosevelt began using the name on official documents in 1901.

The White House has gone through many renovations and changes through the years. The famous "West Wing" that houses key executive office rooms wasn't added until 1902, also by President Roosevelt. The "Oval Office," the president's own office, was built in 1909 by President William Howard Taft.

The East Wing was added by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1942, and included wartime offices, a bomb shelter and even a theater. Later it became the home for offices of the First Lady.

The entire White House was reconstructed in 1948 under President Harry Truman, with only the walls remaining intact.

Presidents have refurbished, redesigned and remodeled elements of the White House for generations. Jaqueline Kennedy famously remodeled the White House to highlight the history of the people who lived there.

You can learn more about the history of the White House building here. You might also be interested in other historic restoration and preservation projects in this special exhibit from the Library of Congress.

Now

In October 2025, President Donald Trump ordered the demolition of the East Wing in order to build a ballroom that is expected to be larger than the entire rest of the White House.

The addition is just one of Trump's expected initiatives to build monuments and new structures throughout the capital.

Discussion Questions

• How do you think decisions should be made about new additions or designs to historic national buildings and monuments, such as the White House?
• If you could make one change to the look or function of the White House, what would it be?

Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.