The demolition of The White House East Wing to replace it with Donald Trump’s $300 million ballroom is going on with full force. Even amid the current political situation in the US, with the Government shutdown starting to poorly affect federal workers, the Trump administration is going forward at a surprising speed with the White House renovation project.
As the dismantling of the East Wing has already started, there has been backlash, both nationally and internationally, but like always, that has not stopped Trump or his crew from going forward with the plan.
Moreover, Trump also recently announced his plans to build an Arc de Triomphe-style monument in Washington. While the monument is aimed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US, critics are speculating that perhaps the President is doing all these to preserve his legacy since he is not doing very well and is quite aware of the fact that his days are now numbered.
Oct 19: President Trump is reconstructing the White House, construction work began on Monday and will be privately funded with any money left over to finance the proposed Arch
Since taking office, Trump has redecorated the Rose Garden, Oval Office and is in the process of… pic.twitter.com/mI8QX8cAEg
— Codey369 (@Codeym369) October 20, 2025
One of Trump’s former aides talked to The Mirror about the same and said, “I think he wants to be remembered in a way that honors his legacy. He’s rebuilding this country, he’s rebuilding the government, but you have to deconstruct before you can construct. This is classic Donald Trump.”
Moreover, workers employed on the site also mentioned that the project is moving speedily, which is quite surprising. One worker named Joe seemed to be hopeful about the ultimate look of the ballroom when it gets done as he said, “Right now, it’s a big dirt pit with a couple of mountains of scrap, but hopefully it’s going to look nice when it’s done.”
It should be noted here that Trump has been giving rise to serious health concerns throughout his second term. Experts have noted that he has shown continuous signs of dementia and a decline in cognitive abilities. While the Trump administration maintains that the President is absolutely fine, the announcement of him going for an official checkup twice in six months led to many questions about the true condition of his health.
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Given Trump’s nature of ensuring that his name is never forgotten, the logic that he is building these monuments and renovating The White House to remain unforgettable even after he is gone does make sense.
However, this move has not been taken well by historians and experts who had previously been associated with The White House and are well aware of the historical significance that the building carries.
Elaine Kamarck, a former government official who had served from 1993 to 1997 talked to the Guardian about Trump’s decision to renovate the place and said, “It’s an abomination. It’s typical Trump, and it’s going to look awful. They’re knocking down the entire East Wing of the White House. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s just one more reason that Americans are getting sick of King Trump.”
Historian Jonathan Alter also commented on the topic and mentioned, “It’s not the worst thing that he’s done but there’s a perfect alignment between the visual image and the major theme of the Trump second term.”
Alter further added, “Early on with Elon Musk, it was a chainsaw. Now it’s a wrecking ball and that’s been their attitude. They’ve taken a wrecking ball to the rule of law.”
Despite such criticism and the concerning condition of the US, Trump has not compromised on the project. As Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also mentioned, the President’s current main concern remains The White House renovation project, which further shows how important it is to Trump and perhaps his health condition is indeed one of the primary motivations behind this decision.
