White House East Wing will be torn down fully to make way for Trump ballroom, official says

By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The full East Wing of the White House will be torn down as part of the process to build a new ballroom proposed by President Donald Trump, a White House official said on Wednesday.

"We can confirm that the entire East Wing is going to be modernized and renovated to, I guess, support the ... ballroom project," the official said.

Demolition workers began tearing down the section of the White House that holds offices for the first lady and other staff on Monday. The official said the demolition process is likely to be finished within two weeks.

The action contradicts Trump's promise earlier this year that the ballroom project, which he has wanted to build for some time, would not touch the existing East Wing structure.

The demolition of part of one of the most historical buildings in the United States has drawn criticism and sadness from Trump's critics, including many Democrats. The White House has dismissed the criticism as "manufactured outrage."

The White House said on Tuesday it would submit plans for the ballroom construction for review by the National Capital Planning Commission, which oversees federal construction in Washington and neighboring states, even though demolition had already begun.

(Reporting by Jeff MasonEditing by Colleen Jenkins and Diane Craft)