As the photo of the White House's demolished East Wing went viral on social media, several baseless claims followed. One of them involves the portrait of Michelle Obama, which, some social media posts claimed, was demolished as the East Wing was brought down to make room for President Donald Trump's $200 million ballroom.
But, the claims are false, as the portrait of Michelle Obama that some social media handles claim was destroyed in the demolition hangs on the Ground Floor Corridor of the White House. It was installed in 2022 and is not part of the part of White House's East Wing that was demolished by Trump.
Additionally, Davis Ingle, a spokesperson of the White House, confirmed to the fact-checking website Snopes that the portrait was never destroyed. "The Michelle Obama portrait was never even in the East Wing to begin with, and everything that was in the East Wing was preserved," the statement read.
There are also no reports from credible news sources or from official sources at the White House that the portrait was destroyed as part of the demolition.
Notably, Obama's renovation during his time at the White House is being increasingly compared with Trump's amid the POTUS plan to demolish a part of the White House to make room for a ballroom. One such false claim that went massively viral states that President Obama spent over $376 million to build the White House basketball court.
{{/usCountry}}Notably, Obama's renovation during his time at the White House is being increasingly compared with Trump's amid the POTUS plan to demolish a part of the White House to make room for a ballroom. One such false claim that went massively viral states that President Obama spent over $376 million to build the White House basketball court.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: White House East Wing map and floor-plan: What rooms Trump is changing and how? First details out
Who Is Funding The New White House Ballroom?
The project for the new ballroom at the White House is privately funded and no taxpayer money will be used, the White House has confirmed. White House says the cost (around $300 million) will be covered by Trump "and other patriot donors.” The funds are being managed via the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall.
Many major companies and wealthy individuals are listed as donors — including big tech (Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft), crypto firms, defense contractors, and billionaires. For instance, YouTube (part of Google) directed $22 million of a legal settlement to the ballroom fund.