The commission appointed by Trump approved the project for a giant dance hall at the White House

Washington - The American Commission for the Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by President Donald Trump in January, today unanimously approved his proposal to build a large ballroom at the White House. It is to be constructed on the site of the former East Wing, which Trump had demolished in October without the consent of government agencies and the review process, and it is set to be significantly larger than the White House itself. Trump subsequently thanked the commission on his social media platform.

The seven-member commission is one of two federal agencies that must approve Trump's plans for the ballroom. The project is also being reviewed by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), which has authority over construction and extensive renovations of government buildings in the region, including construction projects at the White House. Most of this twelve-member commission is also made up of Trump’s allies, including its chair, White House Personnel Secretary Will Scharf.

The members of the Fine Arts Commission originally planned to meet and vote today only on the architectural design and wanted to vote on the final approval of the project at a meeting in March. However, after approving the design by a vote of six to zero, the chair unexpectedly proposed a motion for a final vote.

Six of the seven commissioners - all appointed by the Republican president - again voted in favor. Commissioner James McCrery did not participate in the discussion or vote, as he was the original architect of the project before Trump replaced him in December. Commission members expressed mostly positive comments prior to both votes, noted AP.

"The Commission has just unanimously approved (...) the White House ballroom, one member abstained from voting due to a conflict of interest since he worked on the project. The building received great praise for its beauty and size. I thank the members of the commission," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The ballroom, covering approximately 8,360 square meters (the White House itself occupies about 5,100 square meters), will be built on the site of the former East Wing, which Trump had demolished in October without public or expert consultations. This provoked a strong reaction from lawmakers, historians, and preservationists, who argued that the president should not have taken such a radical step until the project had been reviewed and approved by the aforementioned two federal agencies, Congress, and the public had the opportunity to express its opinion.

Trump claims that the White House needs the ballroom, as the current spaces are inadequate for hosting significant events and receiving foreign guests. The current head of the White House also states that the building will be "the most beautiful ballroom in the world" and will be funded by donations from private sources. According to Trump, it is expected to cost around $400 million (8.2 billion CZK). Originally, it was anticipated that the hall would accommodate 500 people, but the capacity has ultimately been expanded to 1,350 people, writes the BBC. The East Room, currently the largest room in the White House, can hold a maximum of 200 guests.

The White House was built between 1792 and 1800. Its East Wing, which traditionally housed the offices and salons of the First Lady and where White House tours began, was constructed in 1902 during President Theodore Roosevelt's administration. In 1942, during Franklin Roosevelt's presidency, it underwent significant expansion and renovation, and a bunker was built underneath it. The two-story building of the East Wing, where First Ladies shaped history, planned state dinners, and advocated for various issues, has been a thing of the past since last October.