Trump replaces architect on $350M White House ballroom after size dispute
WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump quietly overhauled one of the biggest construction projects of his political career — the $350 million White House ballroom — and the shake-up is already raising questions. According to The Washington Post, the President replaced his handpicked architect after weeks of escalating disagreements behind the scenes.
Sources familiar with the project said Trump was no longer aligned with the original vision, and the ballroom’s extraordinary size sat at the heart of the conflict.
Donald Trump parts ways with James McRery III after clash over ballroom’s enormous size
According to The Washington Post, Trump removed architect James McRery III, who had led the $350 million project from the outset. Three people familiar with the matter told the outlet that the two had stopped seeing eye-to-eye, and the tension centered on the sheer scale of the proposed structure.
McRery’s draft placed the ballroom at roughly 90,000 square feet — nearly twice the size of the 55,000-square-foot White House. Even for Trump, who has long favored bold and oversized design, that figure reportedly triggered concern.
This follows earlier reporting from late November, when initial design concepts began sparking doubts and the two men’s creative approaches drifted further apart. By December, the disagreement had become difficult to ignore.
Veteran architect Shalom Baranes takes over design amid course correction
Trump has now tapped Shalom Baranes, a veteran Washington architect known for his work on major federal buildings. Baranes’ portfolio includes the main Treasury building near the White House and the General Services Administration headquarters, making him one of the most established names in government architecture.
Two sources told The Washington Post that Baranes will now “pick up the mantle” and guide the ballroom’s next design phase. It remains unclear whether he will scale down the footprint, overhaul the aesthetic, or attempt a compromise between Trump’s preferences and the project’s original direction. What is certain is that a reset is underway.
For now, both the White House and McRery’s team maintain that he will continue in a consulting capacity. Still, after such a significant reshuffle, the extent of his influence going forward is uncertain.
Ballroom’s soaring cost and scale continue drawing scrutiny
A $350 million ballroom that nearly doubles the size of the presidential residence was always bound to draw attention. Critics argue the project is excessive, while supporters claim it represents long-overdue modernization that could benefit future administrations.
What this really means is that the size dispute wasn’t a minor creative hiccup but a fundamental rift in the project’s DNA. With Baranes now steering the process, the next iteration of Trump’s ballroom could look dramatically different from McRery’s ambitious — and controversial — vision.
