President Donald Trump announced over the summer that he wouldn't touch any of the historic White House in the construction of his massive gold ballroom. The New York Times reported, citing a senior administration official, that not only has it been proven not to be true, but the project is "far more extensive than he initially let on."
As one senior administration official told The New York Times, the total teardown is expected to be finished by this weekend.
“It’ll be views of the Washington Monument. It won’t interfere with the current building. It’ll be near it but not touching it,” the president said. “And pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.”
As it turns out, it's cheaper to completely "demolish the East Wing to construct the ballroom, rather than build an addition," the official explained.
They also intend to add security features.
Trump claimed that he was paying for the project himself; however, he has held events with big donors and corporate sponsors who are contributing millions of their own money to the project.
Trump has demanded that the Justice Department issue him $230 million in personal restitution for the investigations into him or his campaign. The gold ballroom project is estimated to cost $250 million.
A "Stop Work" order has been posted on the address site, according to the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection website.