Experts Are Concerned About Trump’s New White House Ballroom Plans

Recently, President Donald Trump has been planning to renovate the White House with a ballroom. He unveiled the plan on Thursday to construct a $200 million, 90,000-square-foot state ballroom. [1] He expects it to be complete long before his term ends in 2029. The project will be one of the largest renovations to the iconic building in decades, causing dozens of critics to spring up with complaints including but not limited to financial problems and structural integrity compromises.

A lot of critics are saying that the money used to construct the ballroom could have some more practical use. [2] The White House claims that Trump and donors will fund the project. When asked by reporters about the fund, Trump replied, “no government dollars, no.” [3] Trump did not clarify whether he will raise funds first or pay off the parts of the project as he builds the ballroom. [1] Speculations also question whether the entity who funds the ballroom might be trying to get in close with Trump.

Experts say that these major changes may compromise the identity of the White House.1 However, these breaking changes usually require oversight by the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. Richard Longstreth, a professor of American studies at George Washington University, casted his worries, “It could do some harm to the property over all.” [1] The White House has its own committee that provides recommendations that have not much binding obligations to the historic buildings.

Although this ballroom project of Trump’s may benefit future presidents, it might pose several issues. Jonathan Jarvis, former director of the National Park Service, doubted the timeline of project. It might not be completable by 2029. Trump also didn’t give specifics about the funding project. Furthermore, preservationists worried that there might be potential damage to the structural integrity of the building.

Sources:

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/us/politics/trump-white-house-ballroom-renovations-concerns.html

2. https://atlantablackstar.com/2025/08/02/trumps-white-house-faces-backlash-for-200m-ballroom-construction/

3. https://fox2now.com/news/national/trumps-plan-for-white-house-ballroom-sparks-outrage-from-his-critics/