Trump boots Melania from East Wing of White House to make room for lavish Mar-a-Lago style ballroom

U.S. President Donald Trump is building a brand-new ballroom at the White House, inspired by the fancy one at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. This massive project will cost around $200 million, and Trump along with private donors will pay for it.

Construction starts in September 2025 and will finish before Trump's term ends in January 2029. The ballroom will be built near the East Wing, but won’t touch the main building. It’ll be separated yet match the White House’s classic style, as mentioned in the Daily Beast report.

Trump’s ballroom will be bigger than the entire White House

The new ballroom will be 90,000 square feet, almost twice the size of the current White House, which is only 55,000 square feet. It can hold up to 650 people, which is much bigger than the East Room that only fits 200. Because of this construction, Melania Trump’s East Wing office is being moved temporarily, as per the reports.


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Melania has been mostly absent during Trump’s second term, spending time in New York or Florida and attending very few White House events. The East Wing, built in 1902 and updated in 1942, also includes the White House visitor entrance and a small theater — all of which will be affected during the remodel, as per the Daily Beast report.

Trump adds more luxury touches to the White House

The new ballroom means no more tents on the lawn during big events, which past presidents used when it rained. Trump has already changed other parts of the White House, including:

• Covering the Oval Office in 24-karat gold leaf,
  
• Paving over the Rose Garden and turning it into a concrete patio,
  
• Adding huge flagpoles on the lawns.
  

Trump says this ballroom is a “legacy project” that will honor the beauty of the White House and offer views of the Washington Monument. Trump has had meetings with the National Park Service, Secret Service, and staff to plan the ballroom.

Top firms will work on this build such as McCrery Architects, Clark Construction, and AECOM. No names of private donors were released yet, but more details will come later. Trump first offered to build a $100 million ballroom back in 2010 for Obama, but it was ignored, according to the report by Reuters.

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Now the price has doubled to $200 million, as the design became much grander. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said Trump is a “builder at heart” and wants to protect the history of the White House while leaving something beautiful for the future.

The White House says the new structure will match the old design closely, so it doesn’t ruin the look or feel of the original mansion. Trump proudly showed off the gold-covered Oval Office in May 2025 during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, according to the report by Daily Beast.

FAQs

Q1. Why is Donald Trump building a ballroom at the White House?
Trump is building a $200 million ballroom to host big events without needing tents, inspired by his Mar-a-Lago style.

Q2. What will happen to Melania Trump's office during the construction?
Melania Trump’s office in the East Wing will be moved temporarily while the new ballroom is being built.