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The White House has paused public tours amid construction of the ballroom in the complex. Plans for the ballroom, which will begin construction in September, were announced on July 31.
“New tour bookings were paused proactively while a collaborative group of White House, U.S. Secret Service, National Park Service and Executive Residence staff work to determine the best way to ensure public access to the White House as this project begins and for the duration of construction,” Nicholas Clemens, communications director for first lady Melania Trump, told Fox News Digital, which first reported the pause on Aug. 7.
“There have been zero tour cancellations due to the addition of the State Ballroom.”
A White House official confirmed to The Epoch Times that the tours are on pause while discussions are ongoing.
White House tours resumed in February following the presidential transition.
“For 150 years, presidents, administrations, and White House staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a press briefing.
“President [Donald] Trump has expressed his commitment to solving this problem on behalf of future administrations and the American people.”
No taxpayer funds will go toward the ballroom. Instead, it will be funded by Trump and other private donors.
The ballroom will be able to fit 650 people in a space that will encompass 90,000 square feet. Currently, only 200 people can be seated in the East Room, where many social events at the White House are held.
The East Wing, where the ballroom will be located, also houses the first lady’s office.
“In recent weeks, President Trump has held several meetings with members of the White House staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office, and the United States Secret Service to discuss design features and planning,” Leavitt said.
While the ballroom will not be connected to the White House itself, “its theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical,” Leavitt said.
“President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail,” White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said in a statement.
“The president and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserve the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future administrations and generations of Americans to come in the White House.”
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