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.
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Trump’s ambition to push the envelope with the project has faced resistance from architect James McCrery II, who has advocated for a more modest approach. McCrery is reportedly concerned that the proposed 90,000-square–foot structure may minimize the 55,000-square-foot mansion. The outsize ballroom could violate a cardinal rule of architecture — that an accompanying structure should never overshadow the main one.
White House responds to report
A White House official told The Post that Trump and McCrery engaged in “constructive dialogue” over the ballroom’s design but did not go into details over the disagreements.
“As with any building, there is a conversation between the principal and the architect,” the official said. “All parties are excited to execute on the president’s vision on what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office.”
The hand-selected architect has kept his criticism largely private as the president has requested quick changes to his plans. Trump has dug into the details of the plan in Oval Office meetings with the architect, micromanaging details such as the materials to be used in construction, according to The Post. A model of the ballroom is now a regular sight in the Oval Office.
McCrery declined to comment on the report.
McCrery wants to remain on project
Sources told The Post that McCrery wants to remain as the architect for the project because he believes a different architect would design a lesser building. The renovation is the largest effort his firm has ever undertaken. McCrery Architects has previously designed the U.S. Supreme Court’s bookstore and the pedestal for Ronald Reagan’s statue in the U.S. Capitol. The company has also worked on churches, libraries and homes.
Trump hired McCrery in July, roughly two weeks before he announced the project. Officials pledged to begin construction within two months and finish before the end of Trump’s second term.
In his first term, Trump appointed McCrery to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. The commission offers advice to the president, Congress and local government officials on design issues connected to construction projects in the capital area.
The president has made a number of changes to the White House aesthetics since taking office in January.
Criticism of ballroom project
Trump’s ballroom has come under intense scrutiny from Democrats, historic preservationists and a Virginia couple who went to court trying to halt the rapid, unexpected demolition of the East Wing.
Trump has said the ballroom — estimated to cost $300 million — will be paid for by private donors. But critics say the major corporations and wealthy individuals who have contributed to the project so far were trying to curry favor with the White House.
Democrats in Congress recently proposed new legislation that would impose restrictions on donors.
“Billionaires and giant corporations with business in front of this administration are lining up to dump millions into Trump’s new ballroom — and Trump is showing them where to sign on the dotted line,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who introduced the legislation along with her colleagues, said in a statement last week.
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Questions over transparency
No formal public review of the ballroom proposal has been conducted, sparking anger among critics who argue the project lacks transparency.
The Trump administration has refused to release public details, such as the planned height of the new structure, and the White House has not explained what happened to an emergency bunker beneath the East Wing. The administration argued that such a disclosure would jeopardize national security.
As of Tuesday, plans for the ballroom still had not been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission, a board authorized by Congress to oversee federal construction projects in the District of Columbia. The Trump administration has said it will turn in the ballroom plans at “the appropriate time.”
Trump initially said the ballroom would cost $200 million and hold 650 people, but in recent weeks upped those figures to $300 million or more and announced it would accommodate about 1,000 guests.