Hold onto your hard hats—President Donald Trump is shaking things up with a bold $300 million vision for a White House ballroom that’s got everyone talking.
According to Realtor.com, Trump has tapped Shalom Baranes to replace architect James McCrery II as the lead designer for a massive 90,000-square-foot addition to the White House, a project sparking both awe and debate over its scale and impact on historic structures like the East Wing.
Let’s rewind to July, when Trump first unveiled plans for this grand ballroom, promising a venue capable of seating 650 guests for major events, a sharp upgrade from the East Wing’s modest 200-person capacity.
Construction was slated to kick off in September, with Trump assuring the public that the addition would respect the existing White House structure, not encroaching on its historic footprint.
Fast forward to the bombshell: the East Wing, once home to the first lady’s office, has been torn down to make room for this behemoth of a ballroom, despite those earlier promises.
Trump shrugged off the contradiction, calling the East Wing a “tiny structure” with little connection to the original building, suggesting the demolition was no big loss in pursuit of a world-class venue.
Enter the architect drama—reports surfaced of a clash between Trump and McCrery over the ballroom’s size, with McCrery wary that the 90,000-square-foot design would overshadow the 55,000-square-foot White House itself.
The White House spun it as “constructive dialogue,” but let’s be real: when the boss wants bigger, you either build bigger or step aside, and McCrery stepped aside for Baranes, who brings experience with government projects.
McCrery isn’t fully out, though—he’ll stick around as a consultant, perhaps to keep some continuity while Baranes steers the ship toward Trump’s towering vision.
On the funding front, Trump has made it clear this isn’t a taxpayer burden—wealthy donors are footing the bill, a move that sidesteps the usual progressive grumbling about public funds for presidential pet projects.
The design itself screams Trumpian flair: four walls of bulletproof glass, crafted with colors and shapes he deems fitting, ensuring the ballroom is as secure as it is striking.
“One of the best anywhere in the world,” Trump declared about the planned space, and while critics might roll their eyes, you can’t deny the ambition to host world leaders without resorting to unsightly tents far from the main entrance.
Meanwhile, Trump’s not stopping at the ballroom—since taking office, construction has been a constant at the White House, including a Rose Garden overhaul that paved over the lawn for safety, especially for women navigating heels on uneven terrain.
“You know, we use [the Rose Garden] for press conferences and it doesn't work because the people fall,” Trump explained, pointing to wet, soft ground as a hazard, now replaced with gravel, new drainage, and Mar-a-Lago-style yellow-and-white umbrellas.