President Donald Trump shared a rendering of the facade of a grander looking new East Wing and ballroom saying it would be “identical” in height and scale as the executive mansion.
The sketch, which Trump shared on a Truth Social post on Feb. 3, offers a view of the future East Wing from the nearby Treasury Building − from where photos of the bulldozed East Wing first emerged in October amid public outcry.
“It is a rendering from the Treasury Building, directly across the street, and replaces the very small, dilapidated, and rebuilt many times, East Wing, with a magnificent New East Wing,” wrote Trump. “Being an identical height and scale, it is totally in keeping with our historic White House.”
See renderings for the new White House ballroom under construction
The rendering also showcased a new architectural feature that the old East Wing facade didn’t have: A pediment above the columns. The new triangular gable, which was first seen in renderings shared in July by the White House, sat atop six columns. In the new sketch shared by Trump, it now sits on top of eight columns.
The 90,000 square foot “New East Wing” and ballroom project comes with a $400 million price tag and will include a new office for the first lady and a movie theater. The ballroom is expected to accommodate 1,000 people.
President Donald Trump released a new rendering of the East Wing on Truth Social Feb. 3, 2026.
That’s an increase from earlier plans in July for a ballroom that cost $200 million and would seat 650 people.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the Trump administration in December to halt construction, saying it had not gone through a review process, had not completed an adequate environmental assessment or sought congressional authorization.
The demolition of the East Wing of the White House, the location of President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom is seen from an elevated position on the North side of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 23, 2025.
Trump disputed the group’s allegations, saying that “a President has never needed permission to change or enhance, because of the special grounds on which it sits, no matter how big (and important!), that enhancement may be.”
A hearing on the lawsuit was held by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, DC, on Jan. 22 and he is expected to offer an opinion this month.
Shalom Baranes, whose architecture firm is leading the ballroom project, shows a presentation during a National Capital Planning Commission hearing on White House East Wing renovations in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 8, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
Days after the hearing, Trump said in a Truth Social post that the lawsuit had exposed a “Top Secret fact” about the involvement of the U.S. military and Secret Service on several aspects of the project, including design.
“Additionally, in this instance, it is being done with the design, consent, and approval of the highest levels of the United States Military and Secret Service. The mere bringing of this ridiculous lawsuit has already, unfortunately, exposed this heretofore Top Secret fact,” he wrote on Jan. 25.
On March 5, NCPC members are expected to vote on the project. An online portal allowing the public to register to speak will open on Feb. 12, according to recently filed court documents.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: White House ballroom design update shared by Trump