The First Lady, Melania Trump, is reportedly expressing reservations about the extensive makeover of the White House’s East Wing, which has been reduced to rubble. This transformation is part of a grand plan spearheaded by President Trump to construct an opulent, gold-adorned ballroom on the premises, a venture he has envisioned for quite some time.

The demolition of the historic wing, which stood for over 120 years, was executed swiftly, taking only a few days. The debris is now being loaded onto trucks and carted away, signaling the start of the ambitious construction project.

Despite the progress, Melania has privately voiced her concerns about the extensive nature of this undertaking to her associates. Several administration officials disclosed to the Wall Street Journal that she has been apprehensive about the project’s impact.

At 55, the First Lady is reportedly taking steps to make it clear to her confidants that this extravagant remodel is not her initiative, seeking to distance herself from the alteration of the historic site that previously housed the Office of the First Lady.

The 55-year-old also has been reiterating to confidants that the remodel is not her project, distancing herself from the demolition of the historic home of the Office of the First Lady. 

Her office did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment. The White House did not respond to a request detailing Melania’s involvement with the remodeling.  

Adding 90,000 square feet to the White House compound, the wing, as it’s currently designed, will be expected to accommodate around 1,000 guests standing and 650 seated. 

The ballroom’s $300 million estimated price tag will be paid for by donors and himself, Trump claims. Already, there’s controversy swirling over what the new addition will be named, and some think it may be named after the President, though he denies those reports. 

First Lady Melania Trump has reportedly expressed concern about the East Wing’s demolition and has been distancing herself from the project

An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished on October 23

The President destroyed the 120-year-old East Wing to create room for a 90,000 square foot glistening gold ballroom that can host an estimated 1,000 people standing and 650 seated

‘I don’t have any plan to call it after myself. That was fake news. Probably going to call it the presidential ballroom or something like that,’ Trump said over the weekend. 

The Republican President has wanted to create a regal event space on the White House grounds for at least 15 years. 

In 2010, when Barack Obama was president, Trump called the Democrats’ chief strategist David Axelrod to pitch the politico on a revamped ballroom. 

‘He said, “You have these state dinners in sh***y little tents,”‘ Axelrod told the WSJ. 

‘He said, “I build ballrooms. I build the most beautiful ballrooms in the world. You can come to Florida and see for yourself.”‘ 

Axelrod recounted telling Trump, ‘We’re in the middle of a recession, I’m not sure about this.’

The idea stalled there until the President’s first term. 

According to former administration officials, Trump wanted to build the ballroom during his first term but was hampered by other projects. 

During that time, he redid the White House sports complex installed by Obama, which included a basketball hoop and tennis court. Trump had a tennis pavilion built to expand the area in 2020. 

A worker clears rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished

Heavy machinery is used on the remaining portion of the East Wing of the White House as the site is cleared

Despite the tricky construction and permitting process required to redo historic homes, the White House is an exception.  

This term, Trump has bulldozed ahead with the ballroom plans and cleverly crafted a board of important overseers to swiftly approve his redesign for the centuries-old executive mansion. 

In July, Trump’s team terminated three members of a 12-person board that oversees construction at the White House, called the National Capital Planning Commission.

The quarter who were removed were appointees installed by former president Joe Biden. 

Then Trump installed board members loyal to him, who have since approved the ballroom, meaning the plans sped through the approval process.