'Monstrosity': New White House ballroom renderings draw brutal mockery for Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump ride an escalator as they arrive to attend the 80th United Nations General Assembly, in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
In late July, the Trump Administration announced plans to add a 90,000-square-foot ballroom to the White House East Wing. The announcement immediately drew sharp criticism from President Donald Trump's opponents, who argued that making the White House look like Mar-a-Lago will cheapen it.
CBS News' Arden Farhi, on September 25, reports that "new architectural renderings" of the future ballroom "reveal in more detail." .
Farhi explains, "The new ballroom will be significantly larger than the main White House building, which comprises about 55,000 square feet over the ground floor, state floor and residence. That does not include the East and West Wings…. Construction got underway on the South Lawn earlier this month. McCrery Architects PLLC is the architectural firm behind the project."
CBS News' reporting on the White House ballroom is generating a lot of reactions on X, formerly twitter.
CBS News' Ed O'Keefe tweeted, "SEE IT YOURSELF: New renderings show more details of the massive new White House ballroom under construction (by @ArdenFarhi)."
CBS News' Jennifer Jacobs wrote, "The scale of President Trump's new ballroom relative to the White House can be seen in renderings obtained by @CBSNews @ArdenFarhi."
The New York Times' Katherine Miller posted, "I still basically think all of this is fine? It's not like the White House is even that visible except through that one stretch of Constitution Ave or if you're flying into DCA, the east wing isn't even that old."
Never Trump conservative Charlie Sykes commented, "Trump announced plans to Make America Gilded Again, with a gaudy $200 million White House ballroom designed in the style of Late-Stage Ceaușescu meets Liberace."
X user Kathleen Francis posted, "There goes the neighborhood. Next they'll Evict Lincoln from his memorial."
Another X user, Mary Alvar, tweeted, "The next Dem president will have a LOT of work reinstating the WH's dignity, starting with the Oval Office, scraping out the 'cheap Versailles' mixed with a trinkets market, look, the Rose garden and this 'ball room' monstrosity."
Democratic activist Kim O. commented, "Narcissistic Trump is bulldozing the people’s historic White House grounds so he can build a $200 Million ballroom for him and his ultra rich friends. No one asked for a ballroom. While Americans struggle, this will be Trump's new throne room."
