Legend says that George Washington once chopped down his father’s cherry tree.
Satellite images show President Donald Trump’s project to build a $300 million grand ballroom has appeared to take down at least six trees on the White House grounds — including two historic magnolia trees commemorating Presidents Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The satellite images released on Thursday provide the fullest picture yet of the extent of the demolition work on the White House’s East Wing and its effect on the surrounding parkland — changes made without consulting the government commission established by federal law to ensure the preservation and integrity of government buildings in D.C., according to former commission officials who spoke to ABC News.
Satellite images of White House East Wing remodel progress
Planet
Visible construction work on the new ballroom appears to have begun more than three weeks ago, according to satellite images of the White House complex taken over the last month. An image taken on Sept. 26 shows preparations for the construction, including the removal of multiple trees in President’s Park.
The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden — established by first lady Edith Roosevelt as the Colonial Garden in 1903 adjacent to the East Wing — was also leveled during the demolition, according to satellite images. Earlier this year, Trump also paved over the Rose Garden, which was designed by the same architect who designed the Kennedy Garden.
The White House said in an announcement this summer that the project would begin in September and be completed “long before the end of President Trump’s term.”
Satellite images of the White House taken by Planet Labs on Thursday show that the East Wing has been leveled, while preparations appear to have begun on nearby land that the ballroom is expected to occupy.
Work continues on the demolition of a part of the East Wing of the White House, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington, before construction of a new ballroom.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
At least six trees that once surrounded the East Wing appear to have been removed from the White House grounds, according to the images.
Two historic magnolia trees originally dating to the 1940s — designated as commemorative trees for Presidents Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt — appear to have been removed during the construction.
A magnolia tree commemorating Harding was originally planted by first lady Florence Harding in 1922 northeast of the entrance to the original 1902 East Wing, according to the National Park Service. The tree was replanted in 1947 and later re-designated as a commemorative tree in the 1950s, according to the park service.
The Roosevelt tree was originally planted in 1942 southeast of the entrance to the newly constructed East Wing, according to the park service. The tree was designated as a commemorative tree in the mid-1950s.
The White House did not respond for a request for comment about the removal of the trees.
Trump previously vowed that the ballroom project would not “interfere with the current” East Wing structure.
“It’ll be near it, but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” Trump said in July.
A White House official said that Trump intends to submit plans to the National Capital Planning Commission for approval but has not done so yet. According to multiple former members of the NCPC, plans have historically been submitted and approved before any demolition work began.
When speaking about the ballroom project earlier this month, Trump marveled at what he said was the lack of an approval process, compared to his experience constructing buildings in New York.
“I said, ‘How long will it take me?’ ‘Sir, you can start tonight, you have no approvals.’ I said, ‘You gotta be kidding,'” Trump said. “They said, ‘Sir, this is the White House, you’re the President of the United States, you can do anything you want.'”