A federal planning panel on Thursday delayed a major decision on President Trump’s proposal to build a new ballroom at the White House, pushing the final vote to April after receiving strong public feedback criticizing the design. Many commenters described the proposal as “hideous,” a “monstrosity,” and “just ugly.”
The National Capital Planning Commission, chaired by Trump appointee Will Scharf, had been expected to vote following public testimony. Instead, Scharf announced that the panel will take up the issue at its April 2 meeting. He said the delay was due to the large number of written and oral comments, which could have pushed Thursday’s meeting well into Friday.
“One way or the other, we are going to make sure that members of the public have the opportunity to be heard on this project,” Scharf said.
Roughly 100 people signed up to speak, and thousands more submitted comments on the commission’s website. Critics raised concerns about the building’s design, its scale, the $400 million price tag, and whether the proposal had been thoroughly reviewed. According to commission staff, the “vast majority” of feedback opposed the project. An analysis by The Washington Post of more than 35,000 comments—using artificial intelligence—found that more than 97% were negative.
Some critics also voiced political frustration. One commenter said in an interview, “I voted for Trump three times. But I did not vote for this,” adding that the White House ultimately belongs to the American people.
President Trump’s proposal would involve demolishing the East Wing and replacing it with a large ballroom complex nearly twice the size of the executive residence. Supporters argue that the White House has evolved throughout its history. One supporter wrote that the building has been “burned, rebuilt, added to, and modernized,” saying projects like this help keep historic structures functional by adapting them to modern needs.
Opponents remain strongly critical, especially of the building’s scale. Mystery writer Sara Paretsky, whose comments about the project have circulated widely, said that if the ballroom is built she would like to see it eventually torn down. Otherwise, she said, it would remain “like an enormous tumor.”
The Commission of Fine Arts—whose previous members were dismissed by the Trump administration in October and replaced with allies—has already approved the ballroom’s design.