On Monday, October 22, 2025, the Trump administration began the process of completely
tearing down and demolishing the East Wing portion of the White House. A 7-foot-high fence encircled the area and construction equipment such as claw excavators arrived on the scene.
In the two days since, most of the building has been destroyed - and Trump's team has just confirmed that the rest of the East Wing will be entirely gone by the weekend.Trump must be held accountable for desecrating history! Sign the petition!All of this is just to make room for Trump's unnecessary gilded ballroom, an idea he has been obsessed with. Originally, he stated the ballroom would cost $250 million and would be "near" the East Wing but wouldn't "interfere" with it. Now, he's updated that amount to $300 million and
the East Wing - a piece of history - is toast.The East Wing has stood for 123 years, bearing witness to many presidents over time. It was originally built in 1902 and has housed the First Lady's offices, offices for White House staff, and sat atop an underground bunker. Visitors arriving for public tours and private social events entered the White House through this building.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Society of Architectural Historians, and the American Institute of Architects have all spoken out against the demolition. In fact, it appears the White House may have even
broken the law with this unsanctioned demolition. As the National Trust for Historic Preservation noted, there are
"legally required public review processes" administrations must go through if they wish to alter historic buildings like the White House.
Yet Trump doesn't appear to care about any of that. In fact, as heavy machinery continued to loudly tear away chunks of the building on Tuesday,
Trump told Republican lawmakers gathered on the premises:
"You hear that sound? That's music to my ears; I love that sound."Not only is Trump destroying history - but he's also spending massive amounts of money. At the same time that this major construction project is underway, thousands of government workers have been laid off,
the federal government is still shut down (becoming one of the longest shutdowns in U.S. history), and life-saving programs like medical research projects have been shut down.
Trump's illegal and reckless actions to destroy this historical building are in keeping with his desire to dominate U.S. politics and remold the world around him to his preferences. Just like he has obliquely ignored the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic norms, he is continuing to destroy the foundations of the U.S. through the physical act of destroying parts of the White House.
We must demand accountability now! Federal agencies must hold Trump's administration responsible for its illegal processes for razing parts of the White House to the ground! Sign the petition.