How Trump’s White House ballroom compares with Obama renovations

President Donald Trump has demolished the White House’s East Wing, startling historical preservationists and drafting nationalist ire connected his mode to gathering what helium says volition beryllium a caller 8,400-square-metre (90,000-square-foot) ballroom.

Amid disapproval of this projected $300m project, however, Trump’s defenders are pointing to different White House renovation successful caller representation to suggest the existent outrage is unwarranted.

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“A CNN study from 2010: $376 cardinal White House renovation during the Obama Administration,” work an October 22 X station that shared a 25-second clip of a CNN quality story. “Where was the Democrat outrage then?”

A CNN study from 2010:

$376 cardinal White House renovation during the Obama Administration.

Where was the Democrat outrage then? pic.twitter.com/MvLVDFcTru

— Christian Collins (@CollinsforTX) October 22, 2025

“BREAKING,” work different X station that reshared the aforesaid video clip. “People are digging up a 2010 CNN clip showing Obama’s $376M White House makeover each paid for by taxpayers. Meanwhile President Trump’s $250M ballroom is coming retired of his ain pocket.”

🚨BREAKING: People are digging up a 2010 CNN clip showing Obama’s $376M White House makeover — each paid for by taxpayers. Meanwhile President Trump’s $250M ballroom is coming retired of his ain pocket.pic.twitter.com/PSS2K8SJRJ

— aka (@akafaceUS) October 25, 2025

Obama was president during a White House renovation. But differences betwixt that task and Trump’s task are significant.

Congress successful 2008 approved backing for White House enactment aft a authorities study produced during President George W Bush’s 2nd word recovered the gathering needed upgrades to its h2o pipes and electrical systems, CNN reported successful 2010. The changes improved heating, cooling and occurrence alarm systems that hadn’t been updated since 1902 oregon 1934.

Bob Peck, past commissioner of the US General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service, told CNN in 2010 that the White House sometimes experienced powerfulness outages and leaky pipes.

Obama’s underground renovations affected chiefly the building’s interior.

Separately, the Obamas in 2009 updated and redecorated the White House’s interior without utilizing payer money. The New York Times reported in 2020 that the White House’s caller furnishings were paid for mostly with Obama’s publication royalties and donations. Obama also adapted the White House tennis tribunal truthful it could beryllium utilized arsenic a hoops court.

Trump’s East Wing demolition and ballroom summation person not been approved by the national bureau that oversees national gathering operation and renovations. Trump said the task aims to expand the East Wing’s seating capacity from 200 radical to 999.

The White House primitively said the task would outgo $200m, but Trump has since said it volition beryllium $300m, funded by donations. Donors see individuals and corporations specified arsenic Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft, The Washington Post reported.

“It’s unprecedented, successful each the incorrect ways, including that the American nationalist has been kept wholly successful the acheronian astir the President’s plans,” said Sara Bronin, Freda H Alverson prof of instrumentality astatine the George Washington University Law School.

Priya Jain, seat of the Society of Architectural Historians’ Heritage Conservation Committee, pushed backmost against calling Trump’s task a renovation. “This task involves full demolition of a ample portion of the building,” she said.

Obama’s epoch task covered renovations, Trump’s knocked down a full wing

The Obama-era renovation started successful 2010 with an estimated $376m outgo to amended the East and West Wings’ infrastructure, CNN reported successful 2010.

Peck described the task arsenic mostly underground inferior work. “It doesn’t bash a full batch of bully to person a gathering that’s the benignant of the representation of the escaped satellite lasting up determination and not functioning well,” Peck told CNN when questioned astir the cost.

Bloomberg News reported in 2010 that the Obama renovation was the biggest White House upgrade since President Harry Truman was successful office. From 1948 to 1952, Truman oversaw the White House’s historical gutting, renovation and expansion in effect to significant structural issues that astatine 1 constituent resulted successful the limb of his daughter’s soft breaking done the floor.

Trump’s task volition beryllium the archetypal large exterior alteration of the White House successful 83 years, historical preservationists say.

“Such a important alteration to a historical gathering of this import should travel a rigorous and deliberate plan and reappraisal process,” the Society of Architectural Historians said successful an October 16 statement.

Since taking bureau a 2nd time, Trump has also added gold highlights wrong the Oval Office and paved over the Rose Garden lawn. The National Park Service oversaw the Rose Garden project.

The presidents’ projects disagree successful national bureau approval

At a September gathering of the National Capital Planning Commission – the national bureau that oversees federal building operation and renovations – the Trump-appointed committee seat Will Scharf said the bureau has nary jurisdiction implicit “demolition and tract mentation work”, lone implicit operation and “vertical build”. The committee was expected to conscionable connected November 6, but it’s unclear whether that volition hap if the national authorities shutdown continues.

PolitiFact looked astatine the National Planning Commission’s Project Search for support records of the Obama renovations, but the database doesn’t person records earlier January 2012. We reached retired to the committee to inquire if they approved the 2010 renovations, but received nary effect due to the fact that of their closure.

The White House is exempt from Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which says that each national bureau indispensable see nationalist views and concerns astir historical preservation erstwhile making last task decisions. Michael Spencer, an subordinate prof successful the University of Mary Washington’s historical preservation section said presidents person nevertheless typically undertaken White House projects successful the tone of nationalist transparency. The National Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts approved Trump’s first-term word tennis installation alterations, for example.

“Most importantly, nary of these projects progressive demolition of existing historical buildings,” Jain said.

The East Colonnade and East Wing were built successful 1902 and 1942, respectively, and, nether National Park Service guidelines, should person been assessed for historical value earlier being demolished, she said.

PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.