The Treasury Department ordered its employees not to share pictures of the construction on the White House’s East Wing.
Photos circulated online of the demolition efforts transforming the East Wing into a new White House ballroom. The directive was issued after the pictures of “dismantling the facade of the building went viral online,” the Wall Street Journal reported. The Treasury Department’s headquarters is located directly next to the White House’s East Wing, where the construction is happening, enticing many employees to photograph it and post it on social media.
“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,” wrote a Treasury Department official in an email to employees, reported the Wall Street Journal.
No official reason was provided for the restrictions.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump was excited about the start of the East Wing’s transformation. He announced the start of the ballroom construction in a post on Truth Social on Monday evening.
“I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,” Trump posted. “Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!”
The ballroom will be 90,000 square feet and accommodate up to 650 guests. It will be over triple the size of the White House’s current seating capacity. The renovation will cost over $200 million and is being funded by private donations, including personal contributions from the president.
“President Trump, and other patriot donors, have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million dollar structure,” the White House announced in July.
CONSTRUCTION CREWS DEMOLISH WALL OF WHITE HOUSE EAST WING FOR BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION
Trump highlighted that the construction of the ballroom will be “zero cost to the American Taxpayer.”
“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,” the president said. “I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly. This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!”