Entire White House East Wing to be demolished within days
The entire East Wing of the White House will be demolished within days, two Trump administration officials said.
Speaking to BBC’s US news partner CBS, officials said that construction crews started demolishing parts of the structure on Monday and that the structure would be completely demolished by the end of the week.
President Donald Trump has previously said his $250 million (£186 million) White House ballroom addition “will not interfere with the existing building”.
The White House has served as the historic home of the US president for two centuries. The East Wing was built in 1902 and was last replaced in 1942.
Trump announced the start of construction in a social media post on Monday, saying the “foundation has been broken” for the “much needed” ballroom space.
“For over 150 years, every President has dreamed of having a Ballroom in the White House to host people for large parties, State Visits, etc.,” he wrote.
He said the East Wing, although attached to the main structure, is “completely separate” from the White House.
Trump administration officials told CBS it was always true that the East Wing needed to be modernized to improve security and technology, but during the planning process it became clear that the best option would be to demolish the entire East Wing.
