WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 16: U.S. President Donald Trump, joined by Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Mehmet Oz, answers questions from reporters during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on October 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump outlined plans to expand vitro fertilization (IVF) access by encouraging workplace benefits to include access to IVF and infertility coverage. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Every elected U.S. president adds their personal touch to the White House. But in over a year, President Donald Trump has taken things to a whole new level with the construction of a presidential ballroom and even a Walk of Fame.
The recent changes to the more than 200-year-old building have sparked criticism from Democrats, but Trump doesn’t seem to be pressed by any of the bad publicity. In fact, he called the construction “music to my ears.” Outside of this, Trump’s White House looks drastically different than anything America has ever seen before. Now, we’re taking a look inside the ballroom, the White House and Trump’s true inspiration behind it all.
Building Trump’s Massive Ballroom
TOPSHOT – Heavy machinery tears down a section of the East Wing of the White House as construction begins on President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom, in Washington, DC, on October 21, 2025. US President Donald Trump held a glitzy dinner October 15, 2025 to thank billionaires and top companies for donating to the new $250 million ballroom he is building at the White House. The guests included representatives from tech firms like Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft and Palantir and defense giant Lockheed Martin, according to US media citing a White House guest list. (Photo by Drew ANGERER / AFP) (Photo by DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images)
After weeks of preparation, construction on a $400 million ballroom began back in October 2025. A major renovation like this hasn’t been made to the White House since John F. Kennedy added the Rose Garden in the 1960s, the White House Historical Association reported.
On Tuesday (March 31), U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon ruled that all construction on Trump’s ballroom “must stop until Congress authorizes its completion,” Reuters reported.
The East Room… Before Demolition
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 15: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a ballroom fundraising dinner in the East Room of the White House on October 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump hosted organizations and individuals for a fundraising dinner for the new $250 million ballroom addition currently under construction at the White House. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
On Oct. 15, Trump held a fundraising event in the the East Room of the White House. That’s when he revealed his plans to tear down part of the room in order to build a ballroom fitting a 999 capacity. Trump has previously criticized the lack of space in the room, PBS reported.
Trump on His Ballroom
Listen to the president’s words about why this historic renovation is needed. According to him, no public funding will be used for the construction, only contributions from private donors.
What Will the Ballroom Look Like?
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 29: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to speak as Tammy Nobles, (L) Christy Shamblin, (C) and Michael Kroppy, (R) listen during a press conference in the ballroom of the Mar-a-Lago Club on October 29, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. With one week until Election Day, Trump is scheduled to travel to the battleground state of Pennsylvania to campaign in Drexel Hill and Allentown. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
According to plans released by the White House, the new ballroom will likely resemble that of Mar-a-Lago— Trump’s Florida residence– with a focus on gold and gilded designs.
Rose Garden Renovations
View of the newly paved Rose Garden is seen at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 1, 2025. US President Donald Trump converted the grass portion of the Rose Garden into a patio space, inspired by his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
During the summer, the president had the famous Rose Garden– a garden space used for major announcements and celebrations– completely paved with concrete. This major change from the previously grassy garden was inspired by Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, CNN reported.
Trump’s White House Dripped in Gold
US President Donald Trump exits the Oval Office as he arrives for “Rose Garden Club” lunch in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC on October 21, 2025. (Photo by Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
A common theme in the president’s White House is glamourous– and sometimes gaudy– gold decorations. In this picture, you get a clear shot of Trump’s Oval Office, which is ordained in gold features.
The Resolute Desk
A presentation board is displayed behind the Resolute Desk after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to lower drug prices with drug maker AstraZeneca at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 10, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
The Resolute Desk has been a key part of Oval Office history. It was first brought to the White House as a gift in 1880 and has been used by every U.S. president since 1880 except three, according to the White House Historical Association.
Renovations to the Grand Staircase
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 12: U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk down the Grand Staircase to attend a Congressional Ball in the Grand Foyer of the White House on December 12, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
The president made a shocking move in August that still has folks giving side eyes. White House officials relocated the presidential portraits of Barack Obama and George W. Bush to the top of the Grand Staircase, CNN reported. The portrait of former President George H.W. Bush has also been relocated at Trump’s request. Moving the portraits to a less prominent area symbolizes a different type of White House– one where the president ignores the tradition of the past.
Designing the Oval Office
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 24: The Oval Office is set for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at the White House on April 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. The leaders are expected to discuss security, trade, NATO and the war in Ukraine. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 29: A painting depicting Trump following an assassination attempt is seen the White House in Washington, DC on September 29, 2025. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
One of the most famous photos of Trump was captured right after his assassination attempt last summer. Under his orders, a painting of that moment is now hanging in the hallways of the White House.
Presidential Walk of Fame
WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 22, 2025: A draft design of The Presidential Walk of Fame, as seen along the Colonnades of the Rose Garden on September 22, 2025 on the South Lawn at The White House in Washington. (Photo by Tom Brenner For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Last month, the president unveiled The Presidential Walk of Fame on the White House’s exterior. The gallery features portraits of every single U.S. president. Well, every leader except for one.
Trump Snubs Biden with Walk of Fame
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 25: Framed portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump flank a image of former U.S. President Joe Biden’s signature and an autopen along “The Presidential Walk of Fame” on the wall of the colonnade outside of the Oval Office as Trump meets with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on September 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump has signaled that the U.S. might lift a ban on F-35 sales to Turkey during Erdogan’s first visit to the White House since 2019. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Former President Joe Biden is the only president without his portrait on Trump’s wall. Instead of his headshot, there’s only a picture of Biden’s signature between two portraits of Trump– representing his first and second terms.
Ronald Reagan Portrait
US President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters during a Diwali celebration with American Indian leaders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 21, 2025. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
One of the largest portraits in Trump’s Oval Office is that of former President Ronald Reagan, who Trump has said was one of his favorite presidents in U.S. history.
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