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Photos depicting the recently-demolished East Wing of the White House confirm that construction for President Donald Trump’s new ballroom is far more dramatic than the president previously anticipated.
The pictures, taken from the roof of the Treasury building across the street and on the ground, show mountains of destroyed drywall, windows, insulation, wires, dirt and other debris piled on the White House lawn where construction crews recently took down the entire East Wing and colonnade.
It was a shocking sight for some, given the president initially said his ballroom would not “interfere” with the current state of the White House and that it would pay “total respect to the existing building.”
Now, after reports indicated the entire East Wing was being demolished, Trump has changed his tune, saying the East Wing “was never thought of as being much.
The cost, originally projected to be around $200 million, has now been upgraded to a whopping $300 million.
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East Wing of the White House, pictured from the roof of the Treasury Building, was completely demolished this week to make room for Trump’s ballroom (AP)
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Piles of debris, created from the destruction of the building, were sprayed with water on the White House lawn to control dust (AP)
The East Wing, originally called the East Terrace, was built in 1902 under former President Theodore Roosevelt. It was rebuilt in 1942 under former President Franklin D. Roosevelt and became a staple of the White House.
This is a developing story, more follows…
