EXCLUSIVE — The Department of the Interior is repurposing soil from the construction site of the new White House ballroom and transporting it to be used on federal lands across Washington, D.C.
Construction workers began tearing down the East Wing of the White House on Monday, breaking ground on President Donald Trump’s $300 million renovation to create a grand ballroom. As construction crews break into the grounds, the Interior Department has begun to recycle the excess dirt.
“It’s truly inspiring to see this administration prioritizing D.C. beautification, all while being good stewards of our environment by reusing resources to enhance and uplift our community,” an Interior Department official who spoke under the condition of anonymity said to the Washington Examiner.
An official with the department also told the Washington Examiner the repurposing project is “an example of how this construction is contributing to the environment and beautification of D.C.” No taxpayer funds are being used to move the soil, the Washington Examiner learned.
The entire White House ballroom construction project is privately funded, comprising donations and Trump’s private funds. The president announced Wednesday that the entire East Wing of the White House will need to be demolished to make way for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which has jumped from an originally estimated $200 million to about $300 million. He said the ballroom would be multipurpose, including hosting foreign leaders.
“Over the years, many presidents have made changes. This obviously would be the biggest change, but this was something they’ve wanted for at least 150 years,” Trump said Wednesday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday to “trust the process.”
“With any construction projects, there are changes over time as you assess what the project is going to look like, and we’ll continue to keep you apprised of all of those changes, but just trust the process. This is going to be a magnificent addition to the White House for many years to come, and it’s not costing the taxpayers anything,” Leavitt said during a Thursday press briefing.
The image of the East Wing facade being demolished created political turmoil as Democrats called the project destructive. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) wrote on X, “he’s literally destroying the White House,” and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the ballroom construction “galling” in a Senate floor speech.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) also called it “bad” timing to renovate during the government shutdown, which has entered its 23rd day.
However, many other Republican lawmakers have touted the project, as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) railed against opponents of the ballroom in a Wednesday press conference.
EAST WING DEMOLITION CONTINUES LONG LINE OF WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
He gave reporters a brief history lesson, walking through all the times the White House has been renovated.
“The ballroom is going to be glorious. It’s going to be used for everybody. And by the way, hey, Democrats, if you win the White House back, you get to use it too. This is for the American people, and he’s using private funds to do it. How in the world could they oppose that? The only reason, the only logical reason, is because they have Trump derangement syndrome,” Johnson said.
