An arts panel made up of Trump appointees unanimously approves his White House ballroom proposal

An arts panel made up of Trump appointees unanimously approves his White House ballroom proposal 1 of 4 | Artist renderings and diagrams of the new White House East Wing and Ballroom, briefly posted on the National Capital Planning Commission’s website ahead of a March 5, hearing, are photographed Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) 2 of 4 | Construction continues on the ballroom where the East Wing used to stand at the White House, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner) 3 of 4 | Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Wednesday, Feb., 4, 2026, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) 4 of 4 | A crane for the construction of the new ballroom stand over the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) 1 of 4 Artist renderings and diagrams of the new White House East Wing and Ballroom, briefly posted on the National Capital Planning Commission’s website ahead of a March 5, hearing, are photographed Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 4 Construction continues on the ballroom where the East Wing used to stand at the White House, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 3 of 4 Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Wednesday, Feb., 4, 2026, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 4 of 4 A crane for the construction of the new ballroom stand over the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Washington (AP) — The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of President Donald Trump’s appointees, on Thursday unanimously approved his proposal to build a ballroom larger than the White House itself where the East Wing once stood. The meeting was supposed to be on the design, with a final vote expected at next month’s session. But the chairman, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., made a motion to also vote on final approval, and all seven commissioners, installed by the Republican president since the start of the year, voted in favor twice.“Our sitting president has actually designed a very beautiful structure,” Cook said before the voting. “The United States just should not be entertaining the world in tents.” Cook echoed one of Trump’s arguments for adding a ballroom to the White House: It would end the long-standing practice of erecting temporary structures that Trump calls tents on the South Lawn to host visiting dignitaries for state dinners and other functions. Cook said no other president had taken steps to correct that “until President Trump.” The project will be the subject of additional discussion by the National Capital Planning Commission in March. At the fine art’s commission’s January meeting, some commissioners questioned the lead architect about the “immense” design and scale of the project even as they broadly endorsed Trump’s vision for a ballroom roughly twice the size of the White House itself. Some changes suggested at that meeting were made and were welcomed by the commissioners on Thursday. Trump’s decision in October to demolish the East Wing prompted a public outcry when it began without the independent reviews, congressional approval and public comment that are typical even for relatively minor modifications to historic buildings in Washington. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued in federal court to halt construction of the ballroom. A court decision in the case is pending.The project is scheduled for additional discussion at a March 5 meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by one of Trump’s top White House aides. The commission has jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region.