President Donald Trump has unveiled plans for the most ambitious physical transformation of the White House in modern history — a sweeping $200 million renovation that includes constructing a 90,000-square-foot, gold-adorned ballroom capable of hosting 650 guests.
Trump, now well into his second term, announced the project as part of what he calls a “legacy project” that reflects both his personal design preferences and his belief that the executive mansion has long lacked the capacity to host grand state events.
“It’ll be a great legacy project,” Trump said last Thursday, per CNN. “And I think it’ll be special.”
A ballroom to replace the tent
For decades, state dinners and major receptions at the White House have often required temporary event marquees, especially when guest lists exceeded the modest 200-person capacity of the East Room. According to Trump, this workaround was unbefitting of the dignity expected at such gatherings.
“When it rains, it’s a disaster,” he said. “People slopping down to the tent — it’s not a pretty sight, the women with their lovely evening gowns, all of their hair all done, and they’re a mess by the time they get [there].”
The planned new ballroom — formally called the White House State Ballroom — will be built where the current East Wing stands. Though that wing has long served as the office space for the First Lady and her staff, it will be “modernized” and partially relocated during construction.
A gilded vision drawn from Mar-a-Lago
Design renderings released by the White House show a cavernous event hall bathed in gold and crystal. Ornate chandeliers, gilded Corinthian columns, coffered ceilings, and checkerboard marble floors all draw direct inspiration from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The style mimics Louis XIV architecture and sharply contrasts the more subdued elegance typically associated with presidential venues.
“No president knew how to build a ballroom,” Trump quipped at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. “I could take this one, drop it right down there, and it would be beautiful.”
McCrery Architects, known for their classical design work in Washington, will lead the architectural project.
“Presidents in the modern era have faced challenges hosting major events at the White House because it has been untouched since President Harry Truman,” said CEO Jim McCrery. “I am honored that President Trump has entrusted me to help bring this beautiful and necessary renovation to The People’s House.”
Funded by Trump and private donors
According to an official White House statement, the entire $200 million price tag will be covered by Trump himself and a coalition of unnamed “patriot donors.”
This includes not just the ballroom, but other recent upgrades across the White House grounds.
These include the installation of two towering galvanized steel flagpoles on the North and South Lawns — personally designed and commissioned by Trump — and a controversial rework of the historic Rose Garden. The grassy expanse was replaced with pale stone pavers, inspired by Trump’s Mar-a-Lago patio, and includes presidential seals and American flag-styled drainage grates.
Transforming the White House — literally
The changes go beyond the superficial. While past presidents have left stylistic marks — from Jacqueline Kennedy’s antique-laden renovations to Obama-era energy efficiency updates — no modern president has attempted a structural overhaul on this scale.
“This is the first major expansion of the White House footprint in decades,” noted Tim Naftali, a presidential historian at Columbia University. “What President Trump does inside the Trump ballroom may not survive the Trump presidency. But once that ballroom is built, it's unlikely to be torn down.”
Indeed, critics point out that even costly or controversial White House additions often become permanent simply because reversing them is impractical or politically fraught.
Inspiration from history — and family legacy
Trump has compared his renovation ambitions to those of previous presidents. He’s mentioned the Truman Balcony and even referenced the extensive redecoration work of Jacqueline Kennedy. Echoing that sentiment, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently praised Trump’s renovations during a White House speech.
“I’ve been coming to this building for 65 years and I have to say that it has never looked better,” Kennedy said. “It looks the opposite of drab today.”
Like Kennedy’s aunt, Trump has taken a hands-on approach. His attention to detail includes choosing ceiling moldings, overseeing the installation of gold cherubs in the Oval Office, and consulting frequently with architects and contractors.
“I love construction,” Trump told reporters as he was watching his new flagpoles going up in June. “I know it better than anybody.”
Completion expected during current term
Construction on the ballroom will begin in September 2025, and the White House says the project will be completed “long before the end of President Trump’s term.”
Clark Construction will oversee the build, and AECOM will lead engineering efforts. The United States Secret Service is collaborating closely to incorporate necessary security modifications.
“President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail. The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come," said White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Trump’s efforts to leave a literal and lasting imprint on the White House come as part of his broader desire to be seen not only as a leader but a builder.
“I had to focus,” he said earlier this year, reflecting on his first term. “I was the hunted. And now I’m the hunter. There’s a big difference.”
Now, unencumbered by past political constraints, Trump is pressing ahead with the most significant redesign of the executive mansion in generations — a vision that he hopes will stand as a monument to both his presidency and his aesthetic.
Whether history judges the ballroom as visionary or vanity, one thing is certain: once built, it’s not going anywhere.