Fact Check: Do historic preservation laws require Trump to restore the White House East Wing?

WASHINGTON, DC: Construction on President Donald Trump’s extravagant ballroom project is already underway, which involves demolishing the East Wing of the White House.

According to a viral X post, historic preservation laws supposedly mean Trump has to restore the East Wing exactly as it was, using his own money.

A Facebook post has also circulated, making the same claim. How much truth does this claim actually hold? Let’s take a closer look and separate fact from fiction.

How did the claim about Donald Trump and East Wing spread across social media?

President Donald Trump’s ambitious project, a lavish ballroom, has raised eyebrows everywhere. From questions about transparency to criticism over demolishing the East Wing, the project has gained widespread attention across social media.

Now, Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Threads have been sharing the claim that the National Park Service said historic preservation laws require Trump to restore the White House East Wing “exactly the way it was.”

On X, a post from Wednesday, October 22, claims, "BREAKING: The National Parks Service says that America's historic preservation laws 'make it very clear' Donald Trump will now have to rebuild the White House's East Wing exactly the way it was at personal expense." The post, shared by @HalfwayPost, went viral, crossing over one million views and 5.2k retweets.

Meanwhile, a Facebook post from the “Breaking News” page shared an AI-generated video showing Trump screaming, crying, and constructing a building brick by brick, with the caption, "BREAKING NEWS: US National Park Service Confirms Trump Must Personally Pay to Rebuild White House East Wing." The video received 51.1k likes and 13.4k comments.

Fact check: False

There is no truth to the claim that the National Park Service ordered Donald Trump to rebuild the East Wing of the White House under historic preservation laws. The agency has never issued such a statement or requirement, and no credible news outlet, including The Washington Post, BBC News, Fox News, or US Daily, has reported anything to suggest Trump is personally responsible for restoring the East Wing.

This claim, which has been widely shared on X and Facebook, is false. Neither Trump, the Republican, the Democratic, nor the White House have made any statements about this. 

The X account @HalfwayPost, which helped spread the post, openly describes its content as satire. Its bio reads: "Dadaist graffiti news. Halfway true comedy and satire by @DashMacIntyre. I don't report the facts, I improve them. Comedy is cathartic in fascist eras like ours."

Why was White House treated differently under historic preservation laws?

Any construction or renovation on historic buildings in the US must go through a federal review process, which often includes opportunities for public input. However, Section 107 of the National Historic Preservation Act exempts the White House, the Capitol, and the Supreme Court from these rules.

This means that the White House isn’t bound by the same historic preservation requirements as other historic buildings. Additionally, the East Wing project is being privately funded, hence no order will be applied.