The Treasury Department has instructed employees not to share photos of demolition of the White House's East Wing after images of the destruction sparked widespread anger online.
The department's headquarters are located next door to the East Wing, which gives employees a direct view of President Donald Trump's move to replace parts of the White House with a $250 million ballroom, and Treasury officials issued the directive to employees, reported the Wall Street Journal.
“As construction proceeds on the White House grounds, employees should refrain from taking and sharing photographs of the grounds, to include the East Wing, without prior approval from the Office of Public Affairs,” a Treasury official wrote Monday evening to department employees in an email viewed by the newspaper.
A Treasury Department spokesman confirmed the email was sent to employees, saying photos could “potentially reveal sensitive items, including security features or confidential structural details.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the email, but officials have said the ballroom, which Trump has said will be paid for by donors, will be at least 90,000 square feet with the capacity for more than 650 seats, and would be larger than the main footprint of the White House itself, which is about 55,000 square feet, not including the East and West Wing.
“For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc.," Trump posted Monday night on Truth Social, after the photos went viral. "I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway."
The East Room, which currently hosts large White House events, has enough space for 200 seats, and Trump often discusses the need for a ballroom to host larger events. His spokesman defended the project, which has already cleared historic trees from the grounds in preparation for construction.
“Construction has always been a part of the evolution of the White House,” posted White House communications director Steven Cheung on X. “Losers who are quick to criticize need to stop their pearl clutching and understand the building needs to be modernized. Otherwise you’re just living in the past.”