Trump wants a bigger White House ballroom. His architect disagrees.

The president and James McCrery had argued in recent weeks over the project’s size, with Trump pushing him to expand the ballroom.

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By Jonathan Edwards

and

Dan Diamond

President Donald Trump has argued with the architect he handpicked to design a White House ballroom over the size of the project, reflecting a conflict between architectural norms and Trump’s grandiose aesthetic, according to four people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal conversations.

Trump’s desire to go big with the project has put him at odds with architect James McCrery II, the people said, who has counseled restraint over concerns the planned 90,000-square-foot addition could dwarf the 55,000-square-foot mansion in violation of a general architectural rule: don’t build an addition that overshadows the main building.

What readers are saying

The comments overwhelmingly criticize President Trump's plan to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House, viewing it as a vanity project that reflects his ego and poor taste. Many express concern over the lack of oversight and the potential misuse of public... Show more

This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.

By Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards is the D.C. K-12 education reporter at The Washington Post. He previously worked as a National Reporter and a member of the Morning Mix team. Before joining The Post in 2021, he covered public safety for The Virginian-Pilot where he was recognized as a finalist for the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists.jonathanreports

By Dan Diamond

Dan Diamond is a White House reporter for The Washington Post, with a focus on policy and public health. His email is dan.diamond@washpost.com and you can reach him on Signal at @dan_diamond.01.@ddiamond

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