Arts panel approves Trump ballroom despite 99% negative public comment

The Commission of Fine Arts, a panel whose members were all appointed last month by President Donald Trump, unanimously approved a plan for a 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom on Feb. 19, clearing one of the hurdles on the controversial project.

The seven-member panel also includes former lead architect on the project, James McCrery, who abstained from voting due to his role.

Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the approval on the $400 million project, which is currently being challenged in court by a historic preservation group.

"The Commission of Fine Arts just approved, unanimously, 6 to 0, with one recusal because he had a conflict in that he worked professionally on the job, the White House Ballroom. Great accolades were paid to the building’s beauty and scale," wrote Trump on Truth Social.

The ballroom will be located at the site of the East Wing, which was suddenly demolished in October, drawing the ire of the general public, preservationists, and former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama.

The CFA Secretary Thomas Luebke said during the meeting that he’d never seen such volume of public engagement – with over 2,000 messages – in the two decades he'd worked there.

About 99% of those were negative, he added, upset about tearing down the East Wing and a lack of transparency about funding.

The White House has released a list of 37 donors that includes companies like Amazon, Apple, Caterpillar, Coinbase, Google, Comcast, HP, Lockhead Martin, Meta, Microsoft, T-Mobile and Union Pacific Railroad, but hasn't specified the amount contributed. Some of the companies have business with the federal government.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a federal lawsuit against the project in December, saying the project needs Congressional approval and that the project's size would "overwhelm the White House itself." A ruling is expected on the lawsuit is expected next month.

Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said she was "puzzled" by the two votes taken.

Not only did the panel vote to approve the concept plans for the proposed White House ballroom on Feb. 19, but in a second vote, "also approved the final plans, which had neither been presented nor reviewed," said Quillen.

"In doing so, CFA bypassed its obligation to provide serious design review and consider the views of the American people, including the over 99% of public" that expressed opposition to the current design, she said.

On March 5, the National Capital Planning Commission, the central planning agency of the federal government, will vote on the project. The 12-member commission, the majority of whom are Trump-appointed allies, will hold a public hearing on the same day. Registrations are now now open.

"We urge NCPC to follow and respect the spirit of the review process, to consider public comments, and to preserve the historic integrity and symbolism of the People’s House for future generations," Quillen said after the CFA approval.

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal