President Donald Trump sparked furious backlash from critics when it was revealed that the East Wing of the White House had been demolished to make way for his new $400 million ballroom.
But it has now been revealed that another prominent fixture was quietly wiped from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.’s layout as a result of the construction: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis‘ memorial garden.
The beloved green space, which was dedicated to the former first lady by Lyndon B. Johnson‘s wife, Lady Bird Johnson, in 1965, when it was renamed the “Jacqueline Kennedy Garden” during an official dedication ceremony, two years after Jackie’s husband, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated.
Located along the East Colonnade of the White House, the garden was originally meant to balance out the iconic Rose Garden, which is located to the West of the historic property—and was recently paved at the behest of Trump in order to make it more suitable for events.
However, a White House official has now confirmed to People that the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden was ripped up as part of the construction work taking place to complete Trump’s 90,000-square-foot event space.
The official noted that the administration does have plans to replace the garden, but admitted that the size and location of the space may change as the ballroom plans “develop.”
“The scope and the size of the overall [ballroom] project has always been subject to vary as the project develops,” they told the outlet, adding: “We will have more specifics to share as we go along.”
It is not yet known whether the new garden will maintain the same design as the space that was named after Jackie, or whether it will continue to bear her name.
The White House ballroom is due to be completed by 2028, the same year that the next presidential election will be held.
However, the project has faced many a hurdle, even in the early stages, from backlash over the demolition of the East Wing to soaring coasts, which began at $200 million and have since doubled.
Trump overcame one of these major hurdles in December, when a judge ruled that construction on the project was allowed to continue, after a preservation group filed a lawsuit to try and temporarily stop the project.
Earlier that same month, it was revealed that the president had replaced the architect he initially enlisted to design the ballroom after reportedly clashing with the former lead designer over the proposed size of the event space.
White House officials confirmed that Trump replaced James McCrery II, the man he handpicked to oversee the creation of the enormous addition, and his eponymous architecture firm, with Shalom Baranes, a designer who has previous experience working on government buildings.
According to CNN, White House officials vehemently denied claims that McCrery was fired, telling the outlet that he will remain involved in the project as a consultant moving forward.
“As we begin to transition into the next stage of development on the White House ballroom, the administration is excited to share that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision on building what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office—the White House ballroom,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told the outlet.
“Shalom is an accomplished architect whose work has shaped the architectural identity of our nation’s capital for decades and his experience will be a great asset to the completion of this project.”
News of McCrery’s replacement comes just days after reports first emerged that he and Trump were at odds over the enormity of the planned ballroom, which will be almost double the size of the actual White House.
While the White House dismissed the falling out as “constructive dialogue” between the two men in a statement given to The Washington Post, rumors continued to swirl that the working relationship between the two men was no longer moving forward in a positive manner.
CNN reported that “White House officials had grumbled in recent weeks” that the progress of the project was being hampered by the disagreement between Trump and McCrery, who is said to have voiced serious concerns that the finished ballroom would dwarf the 55,000-square-foot White House.
Trump first announced his plan to outfit the White House with its own ballroom in July, when the White House released a statement confirming that construction on the project would begin in September.
The inspiration behind the proposed ballroom was to create an event space capable of holding more than the 200 people that the East Wing was able to accommodate for official occasions, which had led to many grand White House events being held in tents outside.
When the White House shared Trump’s plans for the ballroom, a spokesperson noted that it would be large enough for 650 seated guests, more than three times the number able to fit inside the East Wing for dinner.
“The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance,” the statement said.
“The White House state ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people—a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.”
At the time, McCrery voiced his excitement at joining the project, while praising Trump for forging ahead with renovations to the historic structure.
“Presidents in the modern era have faced challenges hosting major events at the White House because it has been untouched since President Harry Truman,” he said.
“I am honored that President Trump has entrusted me to help bring this beautiful and necessary renovation to The People’s House, while preserving the elegance of its classical design and historical importance.”
However, the project quickly became the source of much criticism when it was revealed that crews had begun demolishing the East Wing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to make way for the ballroom, despite Trump previously insisting that the addition would not interfere with the existing White House structure.
“It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it but not touching it—and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” he told reporters in July.
Those plans are understood to have changed after a meeting with architects revealed there would not be enough space for the planned ballroom without the destruction of the East Wing, which has long been home to the office of the first lady.
During a 2025 interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, the president defended the project, telling her that the East Wing “looked like hell” when it was torn down and noting that the ballroom will be a much grander addition to the White House.
“The East Wing was a beautiful, little, tiny structure that was built many years ago that was renovated and expanded and disbanded and columns ripped out—and it had nothing to do with the original building,” he said.
“It was a poor, sad sight, and I could have built the ballroom around it, but it would not have been—we’re building one of the greatest ballrooms in the world.”
The president noted that the ballroom would be paid for privately, not by the taxpayer, calling on a host of wealthy donors to contribute to the project.
During a White House dinner hosted for donors, Trump previously revealed a glimpse into his plans for the space, saying that it would be “one of the best anywhere in the world.”
He also described the new ballroom as having four sides of “bulletproof” glass that is “totally appropriate in color and in window shape.”
Construction at the historical home has been ongoing since Trump took office.
Before he began work on the ballroom, the president came under fire for paving over the iconic White House Rose Garden lawn in a bid to make the outdoor event space safer for guests, particularly women in heels.
“You know, we use [the Rose Garden] for press conference and it doesn’t work because the people fall,” he said during a March interview on Fox News. “The terrain can be wet, and the soft ground can be an issue for some. Women, with the high heels, it just didn’t work.”
Despite the backlash over the plans, Trump pressed on with his redesign of the outdoor space, with images taken in June revealing that the grass had been ripped up and replaced with gravel.
The completed paved area was later filled with tables, chairs, and yellow-and-white umbrellas that many noted were almost identical to those used poolside at Trump’s Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago.
