The White House has changed ever since Oct. 2025, when construction crews demolished the entire east wing of the building, according to NPR. This has been the biggest change to the White House since the 1940s, when Franklin D. Roosevelt added a swimming pool for the White House.

The reason for the demolitionment of the east wing is to build a giant ballroom that is said to be completed before the end of Donald Trump’s second term in 2029, costing about 400 million dollars. However, the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued them for the construction, claiming it was unconstitutional, according to Yahoo!. 

The BBC reported that construction of the ballroom, however, was delayed by Judge Richard Leon, claiming the Trump administration needed Congress to approve the plans for the ballroom, and also claimed Trump side-stepped a previous court by reclassifying  the construction as a national security need.

Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that construction on the giant ballroom may resume after the Trump administration filed an appeal against Leon’s decision, and Trump has claimed that he had the right to build it according to Yahoo!.

According to NPR, the White House was constructed in the 1800s, but in 1814, during the War of 1812, the British forces who were invading Washington D.C. set fire to the White House, damaging it, however it was rebuilt in 1817. The White House expanded when the West Wing and East Wing were created. The last change before 2025, was in the early 2000s, with small additions to the White House.

With construction on the giant ballroom for the White House resuming, the Trump administration is trying to keep this construction going without further delay.