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Shocking photos and videos released by the media show part of the White House in ruins, as construction begins on a $250 million ballroom for Donald Trump.

Construction workers ripped the face off the East Wing to begin building President Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom. nyti.ms/43oS9T1

— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) 2025-10-21T03:00:59.878768Z

The images have left many stunned, especially after the president had pledged that the White House’s historic structure would remain untouched during the project.

«It won’t interfere with the current building.»

-Donald Trump

«I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom.»

The «Rose Garden Club» and a new ballroom

It comes after ordering in June the famous White House Rose Garden to be gutted and replaced with a hard-scape patio, including limestone slabs and club-style seating, and branding it the «Rose Garden Club», a move widely criticized for erasing the garden’s historic character and turning it into a Mar-a-Lago-style venue.

Trump has now turned his attention to the East Wing, where the construction of a massive new ballroom has led to the permanent destruction of part of the White House, sending chills and raising serious questions among Americans.

The ballroom project, envisioned by Donald Trump and announced in July with a projected cost of $250 million, was set to begin construction in September. Trump insisted it would be financed entirely through his own funds and contributions from what he described as «patriot donors», emphasizing that no taxpayer money would be used.

«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 wrote on Truth Social, as images of the demolition continued to circulate online.

Like his own permanent residence

Images showing a damaged exterior wall and part of the roof quickly spread across the media, as critics denounced the president’s abrupt decision to remodel the White House, the people’s house.

A much-needed project

Many questioned the necessity of a lavish ballroom and anxiously wondered what Trump might do to the building next, as he increasingly appears to treat it like his own permanent residence.

«I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway,» Trump wrote on Truth Social.

According to several media outlets, including The Washington Post, Trump stated while signing the executive order in July that the main White House structure would remain untouched by the ballroom’s construction, saying:

«It won’t interfere with the current building.»

Trump suggested that the construction would not affect the existing White House.“It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be,” he said during an executive order signing in July.Read more here:

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) 2025-10-21T14:21:53.853Z

In a story that feels more like a movie than real life, 8 pieces of historical French royal jewelry were stolen in a daytime heist at the Louvre on Sunday morning.

In a robbery that lasted less than 7 minutes, the perpetrators used a basket lift to scale the façade, before forcing open a window and breaking display cases that housed the priceless artifacts, shocking people across France.

How can they ride a lift to a window and take jewels in the middle of the day?

The thieves then escaped via motorcycle, but not before unsuccessfully trying to set fire to the basket lift they used to gain entry to the building.

What we know

Shortly after the Louvre opening on Sunday morning, a basket lift was parked along the Seine-facing wall of the Louvre.

At 9:30AM, a window was forced in by ‘several’ individuals, using a disc cutter to cut open panes.

Once inside, thieves targeted the Apollon Gallery, where the Crown Jewels, and the royal collection is held. The interlopers smashed multiple display cases, grabbing the priceless artifacts.

Once the cases were smashed, security was notified via alarm and the intruders fled via motorcycle. There was attempt to set fire to the basket lift used, but it was prevented by a staff member. One thief did leave behind a reflective vest, and the group left behind some of the equipment utilized.

“What is certain is that we have failed, since people were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels, giving France a terrible image,”

The entire heist was completed in less than 7 minutes, according to officials, making an impressive-enough heist for Hollywood to call back George Clooney.

What was taken

According to officials, the thieves targeted 9 items but only escaped with 8. According to Frances cultural minister, these items remain missing:

• The Tiara from the jewelry set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
• The necklace from the sapphire jewelry set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
• An earring, part of a pair from the sapphire jewelry set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
• A brooch known as the reliquary brooch.
• The Tiara of Empress Eugénie.
• The Large bodice knot (brooch) of Empress Eugénie.
• Emerald necklace from the Marie-Louise set.
• Pair of emerald earrings from the Marie-Louise set.

One item was recovered inside of the building, the crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie, apparently worth tens of million of Euros.

“It’s worth several tens of millions of euros — just this crown. And it’s not, in my opinion, the most important item, » the Drouot auction house president Alexandre Giquello told Reuters.

According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, she was surprised that the Regent diamond was not targeted, a jewel valued at over 60 million Euro.

Overworked and understaffed

The incident is a realization of a larger issue facing the Louvre: an increase of tourism paired with staffing shortages. In June, staff engaged in a walkout to protest what they described as overcrowding and chronic understaffing. The walkout resulted in the Louvre delaying its opening that day.

Unions claim that overcrowding results in too few eyes on too many rooms, and that clashing routes between guests, construction personnel, and freight employees leave gaping holes in the Louvres security. The Louvre sees almost 9 million guests each year.

France’s justice minister made no excuses for the failings of security, stating to France Inter radio that “What is certain is that we have failed, since people were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels, giving France a terrible image,”

According to police, the thieves were unarmed but threatened at least one staff member with an angle grinder.

Recovery may be difficult

According to multiple experts, there is little to no chance of recovering these treasures. The most likely fate for these historical items will be a cutting, reshaping, and reselling as raw stones and gold.

This is not the first time a successful heist has been managed at the Louvre. The Mona Lisa was famously stolen in 1911 by an Italian decorator who worked at the museum.

Sunday’s heist was the first in the 21^st century, with the last coming in 1998, when a painting by Camille Corot was successfully taken and not recovered.