Trump had said in July that the new ballroom "won’t interfere with the current building." But this week he clarified that "to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure."

Mourners are outraged over President Trump’s demolition of the East Wing to make way for his $300 million ballroom. Others say it was time for change.

"It sounds like the answer is, 'Yes,'" Weijia Jiang states to the press secretary as Leavitt shows photos of the White House's constructions.

In 1979, Trump received approval from the city to purchase the Bonwit Teller building, an Art Deco mainstay on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, which would eventually be demolished for a 68-story, mixed-use property now known as Trump Tower, Forbes reported.

Photos of the demolition of the East Wing at the White House have reportedly gone viral on social media. The company involved in the demolition, ACECO, has had to take down its website after

The East Wing, which was built as an extension in 1902, is traditionally the home for the first lady and her staff. But you may not have known that the tradition started with Rosalynn Carter.