Fine Arts Commission approves Trump's ballroom plan

The controversial project must now win approval from the National Capital Planning Commission.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The Commission of Fine Arts has unanimously approved plans for former President Donald Trump's almost 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, the first hurdle in starting the building project. However, the project has faced significant public backlash, with over 2,000 negative comments received by the commission in the past week.

Why it matters

The approval of the ballroom plan is a significant step forward for Trump's controversial project, which has been criticized by many for its scale, lack of transparency, and potential misuse of democratic principles. The project's next step is to win approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which could vote on it on March 5.

The details

The Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were all appointed by Trump, including his executive assistant Chamberlain Harris, unanimously approved the ballroom plans. The original architect of the ballroom recused himself from the vote. Trump had fired all the previous commission members in October. The project must now win approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by Will Scharf, a White House staff secretary appointed by Trump. Two other White House officials, James Blair and Stuart Levenbach, are also on the commission.

  • The Commission of Fine Arts unanimously approved the ballroom plans on February 19, 2026.
  • The National Capital Planning Commission could vote on the project on March 5, 2026.

The players

Donald Trump

Former President of the United States who proposed the White House ballroom project.

Rodney Mims Cook Jr.

Chair of the Commission of Fine Arts, which unanimously approved the ballroom plans.

Thomas Luebke

Secretary of the Commission of Fine Arts, who reported that the commission received over 2,000 negative comments on the ballroom project in the past week.

Chamberlain Harris

Executive assistant to former President Trump, who was appointed to the Commission of Fine Arts.

Will Scharf

White House staff secretary appointed by Trump, who leads the National Capital Planning Commission that will vote on the ballroom project.

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What they’re saying

“This is a facility that is desperately needed for over 150 years, and it's beautiful.”

— Rodney Mims Cook Jr., Chair, Commission of Fine Arts (The Washington Post)

“In two decades of casework here, I've never seen as much public engagement on this. We've literally gotten, in the past week or so, more than 2,000 various messages. The vast, vast majority is negative, in general.”

— Thomas Luebke, Secretary, Commission of Fine Arts (CBS News)

“This is sort of like the greatest country in the world. It's the greatest house in the world and we want it to be the greatest ballroom in the world.”

— Chamberlain Harris, Executive Assistant to Former President Trump (CBS News)

What’s next

The National Capital Planning Commission, led by Will Scharf, a White House staff secretary appointed by Trump, could vote on the ballroom project on March 5, 2026.

The takeaway

The approval of Trump's controversial White House ballroom plan by the Commission of Fine Arts, despite significant public backlash, highlights the potential misuse of democratic principles and the influence of political appointees in the decision-making process. The project's next step, approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, will be closely watched as a test of the project's viability and transparency.