Washington– Stuart McLaurin knew it was coming.
An entire wing of the White House, a building he described as “the most private and important building on the planet,” will be replaced Make room for the dance floor That boss Donald Trump He wants to add to the building.
But when McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, saw the first photographs of the White House Bulldozers tear apart the eastern wingIt still comes as a shock.
“When things happen in reality, they strike us a little differently than the theory that things happen, so it was a bit of a jarring moment,” McLaurin told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview Tuesday.
McLaurin, who has led the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for more than a decade, has not taken a position on the changes. It’s not his job. He said: “Our mission is not to investigate what is happening, or to prevent it from happening, but to document what is happening, and what is happening in this great house that we call the White House.”
But he said he saw a silver lining in the “shocking” photos: They had sparked public interest in the history of the White House.
“What’s happened since then is so amazing because in the last couple of weeks, more people have been talking about the history of the White House, focusing on the history of the White House, learning what the East Wing is, what the West Wing is… what these spaces are in this building that we simply call the White House,” McLaurin said.
The general public became aware of it Demolition work on October 20 After photos of torn-up construction equipment in the building began circulating online, sparking an outcry from Democrats, conservationists and others.
Within days, the entire two-story east wing was built – The First Ladies’ traditional base of operations And their employees – gone. The demolition included a covered walkway between the White House, the family movie theater, and a garden dedicated to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
Trump talked about Build a dance hall For years, he pushed forward with his vision when he returned to office in January. His proposal calls for a 90,000-square-foot building, twice the size of the 55,000-square-foot White House itself, and capable of accommodating 1,000 people. The plan also includes building a more modern east wing, officials said.
The Republican president ordered the demolition even though he had not yet signed off on construction of the hall from the National Capital Planning Commission, one of several entities with a role in approving additions to federal buildings and property. The White House has not yet submitted plans for the hall for committee review because it is closed during the government shutdown.
Trump appointed loyalists to the Planning Commission in July. He also on Tuesday expelled the six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, a group of architectural experts that advises the federal government on the preservation of historic monuments and public buildings. A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on personnel decisions, said a new list of members most aligned with Trump’s policies would be named. The Washington Post was the first to report on the firings.
McLaurin said it is the job of the White House curator and his staff to carefully remove, catalog and store artwork, official photographs of former first ladies and furnishings from the East Wing.
The White House Historical Association has no decision-making role in the construction process. But it is working with the White House to prepare for the changes.
“We’ve known since late summer that the East Wing staff was leaving. I actually made my last visit on the last day of tours on August 28,” McLaurin said.
Working with a curator and lead guide, the society used 3D scanning technology “so that every room and space and nook and cranny of the East Wing, whether it be moldings or hinges or doorknobs or anything else, is captured to the highest degree” to be digitally recreated as an exhibit or to teach about the history of that space, McLaurin said.
A photographer also documented the building during its dismantling.
It will be a while before any photos are available, but McLaurin said things were found when the floors were lifted and when the wall coverings were pulled down, “there wasn’t a single living person left alive. So these will be history lessons.”
Trump aides responded to criticism of the demolition by saying that other presidents have made changes to the White House as well. Trump said the White House needs more entertainment space.
The building continues to evolve from when it was built in 1792, McLaurin said.
“There is a need for modernization and growth,” he said, noting that White House social secretaries for generations have been chafed by restrictions on entertainment space. “But how it is done, how it is accomplished and what the results are is really the vision of the president who is undertaking this project.”
Jacqueline Kennedy established the Historical Society in 1961 to help maintain the museum quality within the White House and to educate the public. It receives no government funding and raises money mostly through private donations and retail merchandise sales.
McLaurin said it is not the association’s job to take a position on construction. Its primary mission is to preserve the State Floor and some of the historic bedrooms upstairs into private living quarters, teach the history of the White House, and is an accredited museum. The State Floor consists of the Green, Blue, and Red Rooms, the East Room, the State Dining Room, the Cross Hall, and the Grand Foyer.
“Our duty is not to support — or not to support,” McLaurin said. “Our goal is to understand and get the details.”
Since the demolition, McLaurin said he has seen a spike in attendance at a free education center the society opened in September 2024 a block from the White House. “The People’s House: The White House Experience” is open seven days a week — including during the current government shutdown.
He said the education center saw its busiest day on the weekend of October 17-19, with about 1,500 visitors per day, up from the previous average of 900 visitors.