“In the latest example of engineered outrage, deranged leftists and their fake news allies are rubbing their hands over President Donald Trump’s decision to add a privately financed grand ballroom to the White House.”
This can be read in an official statement from the US Presidency itself.
“This – explains the White House – is a bold and necessary addition that echoes the legendary history of improvements and expansions made by the commanders in chief to keep the executive residence a beacon of American excellence”.
For over a century – the note underlines – the Presidents of the United States have renovated, expanded and modernized the White House to meet needs.
- In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt built the West Wing, replacing the expansive greenhouses built during the Jefferson administration and creating the modern executive office wing with a “classically inspired design,” along with a colonial garden and the East Terrace, which eventually became the East Wing.
- In 1909, President William Howard Taft renovated and expanded the West Wing, also creating the first Oval Office.
- In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson demolished the colonial garden, modernizing it with a rose garden.
- In 1927, President Calvin Coolidge oversaw the renovation of the upper floors and attic of the White House.
- In 1929, President Herbert Hoover renovated the West Wing, carrying out reconstruction work in the basement and renovating the first floor; after a fire on Christmas Eve, the West wing was repaired and reopened in 1930.
- In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt renovated the West Wing, adding a second floor, a larger basement, and a swimming pool, and moving the Oval Office to its current location; in 1942, President Roosevelt built the East wing.
- In 1948, President Harry Truman undertook a “total reconstruction” of the interior of the White House, expanding its foundations and floor space, but retaining only the exterior walls.
- In 1962, President John F. Kennedy built the modern Rose Garden.
- In 1970, President Nixon transformed the pool into a press conference room; in 1973, he added a bowling alley in the basement.
- In 1975, President Gerald Ford installed an outdoor swimming pool on the South Grounds, funded entirely by private donations.
- In 1993, President Bill Clinton undertook the restoration and renovation of the Executive Mansion.
- In 2009, President Barack Obama renovated the south lawn’s tennis court into a basketball court and added the White House Garden on the south lawn. In 2020, President Trump and the First Lady completed a new tennis pavilion at the White House, renovating the White House tennis court and Grandchildren’s Garden, as well as constructing a new building.
Now, in 2025, President Trump continues that legacy by breaking ground on a grand ballroom, “a transformative addition that will significantly increase the White House’s ability to host major events honoring world leaders, foreign nations and other dignitaries.”