Who authorized construction of the new White House ballroom and when was it approved?

1. What the White House officially says: Trump announced and pledged funding

The administration’s own statement announces the ballroom project on July 31, 2025, says work “will begin in September 2025,” and frames the effort as privately funded, saying “President Trump, and other patriot donors, have generously committed to donating the funds necessary” for the roughly $200–$250 million building ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Timeline reported by multiple outlets: demolition and construction underway in October 2025

News outlets and wire services reported demolition of the East Wing façade and crews working on the site in mid‑ to late October 2025; Reuters published photos and described demolition beginning by Oct. 21, 2025, and said the White House would submit plans to the oversight body even though demolition was already under way ^{[4] [3]}.

3. Who “authorized” the project — claims vs. formal permitting

The White House statement functions as the formal announcement and the administration says the president and private donors are driving and financing the project ^{[1] [2]}. Available sources do not provide a citation to a specific federal permit or approval that preceded demolition; reporting indicates the White House said it would submit plans for review to the National Capital Planning Commission after demolition had begun ^[4].

4. Dispute over required reviews and the role of oversight commissions

Reporting and preservation groups note legal and customary review processes. The Washington Post and other coverage say the project had not been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission as required by law at one point, and the White House initially claimed a 1964 executive order might allow bypassing that process before saying the commission “will be a part of that process at the appropriate time” ^[6]. The National Trust and Society of Architectural Historians urged pausing demolition and completing formal consultations and reviews, stressing the White House’s exceptional historic status ^{[5] [7]}.

5. Conflicting narratives: “begin” vs. “approval”

The White House’s timeline frames September 2025 as the start date ^{[1] [2]}. Independent reporting shows demolition crews on site in October, while oversight bodies and preservationists raised concerns that formal approvals and design reviews were incomplete or pending ^{[3] [4] [5]}. Thus, the administration’s authorization to start construction appears to come from the president’s office and private funding pledges; statutory permitting and advisory‑commission reviews were reported as still in flux ^{[1] [4] [5]}.

6. Funding and scope: project cost and scale noted but evolving

The White House described the project in July as roughly a $200–$250 million privately financed ballroom addition ^{[1] [2]}. Subsequent reporting and compilations indicate that cost estimates and fundraising totals shifted over time; sources note initial figures around $200–$250 million and later reporting that raised questions about higher estimated costs and who was contributing ^[6].

7. Preservation groups and architects pushed back; internal disagreements reported

Architectural and preservation groups publicly criticized the process and urged adherence to review norms; the Society of Architectural Historians issued a formal statement in October 2025 criticizing the rushed timeline and lack of clarity around demolition and design review ^[7]. Reporting also described arguments between President Trump and the architect he selected over the project’s size and scope ^[8].

8. What is not established in available reporting

Available sources do not mention a specific statutory permit number or final approval document from the National Capital Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts, or another federal permitting body that authorized demolition or construction prior to crews beginning work; instead reporting records the White House announcement and subsequent promise to submit plans for review ^{[4] [5]}.

9. Bottom line — who authorized and when, per public record

Per the administration, President Trump and the White House announced the ballroom on July 31, 2025, and authorized work to begin in September 2025 with private funding pledged by the president and donors ^{[1] [2]}. Independent reporting and preservation organizations document demolition and active work on the White House East Wing site by October 2025 while formal review and permitting processes remained disputed or pending ^{[3] [4] [5] [7]}.