By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The entire White House East Wing has been demolished as President Donald Trump moves forward with a ballroom construction , Associated Press photos on Thursday showed.

The East Wing, where first ladies created history, planned state dinners and promoted causes, is now history itself. The two-story structure of drawing rooms and offices, including workspace for first ladies and their staffs, has been turned into rubble , demolished as part of the Republican president’s plan to build what he said is now a $300 million ballroom nearly twice the size of the White House.

Work continues on the demolition of a part of the East Wing of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington, before construction of a new ballroom. (

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