Fact Check: Did Obama ‘wreck’ the White House for a basketball court?

WASHINGTON, DC:  President Donald Trump has begun construction of a new ballroom at the White House. The project, first announced a few months ago, involves the partial demolition of the historic East Wing, with work starting earlier this week.

Following this, a rumor spread online claiming that former President Barack Obama had “wrecked” the White House to add a basketball court. But is there any truth to it? Let’s find out.

Claim: Barack Obama ‘wrecked’ the White House to add a basketball court

In October 2025, a photo began circulating online claiming to prove that former President Barack Obama had damaged the White House to build a basketball court.

The claim spread alongside a black-and-white image that appeared to show heavy demolition or construction work at the White House.

A Facebook user posted the photo, writing, “This is an absolute horrible tragedy to the White House. Literally tearing down a section to—oh, but wait, this picture is when Obama wrecked the WH to put up an indoor basketball court. Using TAXPAYER MONEY. Democrats, your hypocrisy is astounding."

The rumor then made its way to other platforms, including Threads and Bluesky.

A Threads user wrote, “Who remembers this? The White House, when they (Obama) put in an indoor basketball court. Don’t remember anyone having a massive breakdown over that."

Fact Check: The viral photo was taken long before Obama’s presidency

Barack Obama did convert an outdoor tennis court at the White House to also function as a basketball court during his administration. The modification involved adding hoops and painted lines — not large-scale demolition, according to official White House information.

However, this conversion did not require extensive construction.

Meanwhile, the photo that went viral was not from Obama’s time in office. Similar images from the Library of Congress show construction at the White House’s West Wing in 1934 during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency. 

Based on available evidence, social media users miscaptioned an old image to falsely suggest Obama carried out large-scale construction at the White House.

Aside from the basketball court adaptation and a renovation of the Oval Office, the Obama administration also established the White House Kitchen Garden — but no major building projects took place.

Donald Trump aims to complete ballroom before end of his term

On Monday, October 20, work began on a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House. The $250 million project is being funded entirely through private donors.

The ballroom will host up to 999 guests — significantly more than the 200-seat East Room — and is larger than one and a half football fields, according to The Guardian. 

The East Wing, which traditionally houses the first lady’s offices and social spaces, is being demolished to make space for the new structure.

President Trump has said he hopes to complete the ballroom before his term ends in 2029.

The new addition marks the first major structural change to the White House since the Truman Balcony was added in 1948, according to The Independent.

The East Wing, originally built in 1902 and expanded with a second floor under Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, has since housed the first lady’s office and other departments such as the White House Travel Office and the Military Office.