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An Architect Has Ideas for a New White House Ballroom. Trump Wants It Bigger
President Trump and architect James McCrery II disagree over the size of the 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, which critics say lacks transparency and oversight.
- On Aug. 5, 2025, President Donald Trump pushed to enlarge the White House ballroom beyond the planned 90,000-square-foot expansion, clashing with James McCrery II, architect, over the design scale.
- Funded by private contributors, the project is projected to cost $300 million with a donor list of 37 businesses including Amazon, Lockheed Martin and Palantir Technologies, though officials admit it is not comprehensive.
- Its seating plan now calls for 900 seats, a 40 percent rise from the original 650, and James McCrery II warned the 90,000-square-foot addition may minimize the 55,000-square-foot White House residence.
- Democrats and historic preservationists, along with a Virginia couple suing to halt demolition, face opposition from an October poll showing 56 percent oppose and 28 percent support the ballroom.
- As of Tuesday, formal plans had not been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission, and the Dec. 4 commission meeting agenda omits the ballroom project for the next six months.
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An architect has ideas for a new White House ballroom. Trump wants it bigger
President Donald Trump and the architect he personally selected to design the new White House ballroom are reportedly at odds over just how big the project should be. The architect is arguing that less is more, while Trump just wants more. The conflict stems from Trump’s opulent style and architectural standards, four sources familiar with the dispute told The Washington Post. Trump’s ambition to push the envelope with the project has faced resi…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left7Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution70% Left
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources lean Left
70% Left
L 70%
C 30%
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