Can Trump demolish part of the White House? What rules say amid East Wing ballroom row

Hillary Clinton, who at one time had lived at the White House, when husband Bill Clinton was president, has been one of many who vocally opposed the move. “It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it,” she wrote on X. Meanwhile, Trump’s supporters, and the White House’s official Rapid Response account pointed out that renovations had been done by several presidents in the past as well.

Here’s what the rules are about demolitions and renovations in the White House amid the East Wing ballroom row.

What do the rules say about demolition at the White House?

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) oversees all federal construction in Washington and neighboring states, and normally plans must be submitted before renovation work begins. The Trump administration is yet to submit the plans, though a White House spokesperson told Reuters that it fully intends to do so. The commission is led by White House aide Will Scharf.

The official also told Reuters that NCPC did not have any jurisdiction over demolition work. Further, the White House has seen four major instances of renovation and construction in the past.

The cornerstone was laid in 1792 and construction work began – which marks the first instance. Then, in 1817 it had to be rebuilt after the British burned it in August 1814. The third instance was in 1902 when Theodore Roosevelt carried out renovations to modernize the White House for the 20th century, and in the process set up the West Wing as the new executive office space for the President and their staff. Harry S Truman had the White House interiors fully gutted during renovations, marking the fourth major construction or renovation.

The White House, amid criticism of Trump’s renovation, also put out an extensive list of previous such works undertaken by various presidents.

Meanwhile, the National Trust for Historic Preservation on Tuesday, asked the Trump administration to pause demolition work until the planning commission finished its review. In the letter, the NGO expressed concern about the 90,000 square foot ballroom overwhelming “the White House itself.” The White House is 55,000 square feet.

This is not the first change Trump is making to the White House. Since becoming President for the second time, he’s made changes to the Oval Office, Rose Garden and other parts of the executive mansion complex. Trump has the ballroom will be paid for by himself and donors.

(With Reuters inputs)