First Lady Melania Trump privately expressed concerns about her husband’s controversial demolition of the White House East Wing and has distanced herself from the massive ballroom project, according to administration officials who spoke with The Wall Street Journal.
The first lady raised concerns about tearing down the East Wing and told associates the project was not hers, according to unnamed White House officials cited in the Journal’s reporting. Melania Trump has not publicly commented on the demolition of the historic section that traditionally housed the Office of the First Lady, the East Colonnade, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.
President Donald Trump began demolishing the Roosevelt-era East Wing to make room for his planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom, breaking a previous vow he made last summer to leave the existing structure intact during construction. The president initially claimed the ballroom would rise adjacent to the East Wing without touching the historic building, saying he was a big fan of the White House.
Excavators were seen tearing apart the section of the building, creating images that went viral on social media and elicited strong reactions from Americans. The destruction is even visible from space.
The project’s cost has ballooned from an initial $200 million to at least $400 million, with the president claiming private donations will fund the construction. The ballroom is now expected to accommodate over 1,000 people, up from 650 in the original plans. The structure will be nearly twice the size of the White House’s main building, which is 55,000 square feet.
Stephanie Grisham, who served as Melania Trump’s chief of staff during the president’s first term and is now a Trump critic, told CNN the destruction breaks her heart. Grisham emphasized the speed at which the project was carried out, bypassing the standard approval process for White House renovations. She said she certainly did not expect the East Wing to be demolished like a condemned house over three days or so.
The Trump administration has not submitted plans for the ballroom to the National Capital Planning Commission, the agency that approves and monitors construction on federal buildings. Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary whom Trump appointed as chair of the planning commission in July, claimed that the administration did not need approval for demolition, only construction.
On October 21, the National Trust for Historic Preservation sent a letter to the White House urging Trump to pause demolition until plans could be reviewed. The organization expressed deep concern that the massing and height of the proposed construction would overwhelm the White House itself and might permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the historic building with its two smaller, lower East and West Wings.
The letter stated: “As we approach the 250th Anniversary of our country’s founding, the preservation of historic places that represent our nation’s history has never been more relevant or important.”
When Trump was questioned by Reuters reporter Jeff Mason about his transparency regarding the project on October 23, the president raised his voice and became defensive. He stated: “I haven’t been transparent? Really? I’ve shown this to everybody that would listen. Third-rate reporters didn’t see it because they didn’t look.”
Despite Melania Trump’s apparent concerns about the demolition, sources previously told People magazine that the first lady supported her husband’s remodeling plans because the changes made the presidential residence feel more like their Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. One Florida source indicated both Donald and Melania would prefer to be in Palm Beach, so they are bringing Mar-a-Lago to Washington.
A Mar-a-Lago club member told People that the couple takes pride in their Florida home’s decor and style and enjoys showing it off, so it makes sense they would make changes to the historic presidential building. The source explained that anytime Melania and Donald can make the White House feel more like Mar-a-Lago, they will, noting the president personally created much of the current decor at their Florida residence.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the project in a statement, saying Trump is working around the clock to Make America Great Again, including his historic beautification of the White House, at no taxpayer expense. He added that the long-needed upgrades would benefit generations of future presidents and American visitors to the People’s House.
White House officials have stated the East Wing offices will be rebuilt as part of the project.
The project overcame a major legal obstacle on February 26, 2026, when U.S. District Judge Richard Leon dismissed the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s attempt to stop construction, finding the group was unlikely to prevail on its underlying claims. However, he left room for the organization to revise its lawsuit to challenge Trump’s reliance on private financing without congressional authorization.
On the regulatory side, the Commission of Fine Arts unanimously signed off on the renovation on February 19, and the National Capital Planning Commission plans to hold a public hearing on March 5, with written comments due by March 4.
The project still draws criticism over its elaborate design, the absence of public input before demolition began, ongoing asbestos-related litigation filed by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, and broader concerns about circumventing Congress to use private funds for a $400 million renovation of a national landmark.
Despite the ongoing disputes, the administration says above-ground work could start as early as April, with the goal of finishing the ballroom before the end of Trump’s term.
