White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Donald Trump as a “builder-in-chief" amid backlash from critics over the demolition of a part of the East Wing.

The first lady's office and several other offices will be demolished as a part of the project to add a massive new ballroom.

The White House fired back after several reports criticized President Donald Trump's addition of a grand, $200 million ballroom to the historic property with examples of past work.

“The entire purpose of replacing the White House with this gaudy ballroom is to serve as a reward for Trump’s campaign donors and crypto scam bribers,” Jesse Lee, an adviser in both the Obama and Biden administrations, told The Hill. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.

Preservation groups have called for a halt to plans for a new ballroom - but Trump says the work is a "beautiful sound".

The Trump White House joined Bluesky with a meme-filled debut on Friday, appearing to poke fun at the liberal-leaning platform’s progressive users.

A person has been taken into custody after a vehicle was driven into a section of the White House perimeter. Secret Service officers said the suspect, who has not been named, rammed into the estate’s vehicle gate near the corner of 17th and E Streets.

In one social video Trump shared, he wears a crown and flies a fighter jet with "King Trump" written on it. 2,700 No Kings protests were Oct. 18, 2025.