An arts panel made up of Trump appointees approves his White House ballroom proposal
Source: Associated Press, via WTOP
An arts panel made up of Trump appointees approves his White House ballroom proposal
The Associated Press
February 19, 2026, 11:10 AM
Artist renderings and diagrams of the new White House East Wing and Ballroom, briefly posted on the National Capital Planning Commission's website ahead of a March 5, hearing, are photographed Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)(AP/Jon Elswick)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of President Donald Trump's appointees, on Thursday approved his proposal to build a ballroom larger than the White House itself where the East Wing once stood.
The meeting was supposed to be on the design, with a final vote expected at next month's session. But the chairman, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., made a motion to also vote on final approval, and six of the seven commissioners who were all installed by the Republican president since the start of the year voted in favor twice. One commissioner, James McCrery, did not vote because he was the initial architect on the project. ... "Our sitting president has actually designed a very beautiful structure," Cook said before the voting. "The United States just should not be entertaining the world in tents."
Cook echoed one of Trump's arguments for adding a ballroom to the White House: It would end the long-standing practice of erecting temporary structures that Trump calls tents on the South Lawn to host visiting dignitaries for state dinners and other functions. ... Cook said no other president had taken steps to correct that "until President Trump."
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The project is scheduled for additional discussion at a March 5 meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by one of Trump's top White House aides. The commission has jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region.
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This story has been corrected to reflect that the ballroom was approved by six of the seven commissioners and that one commission did not vote because he was the initial architect on the project.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
Read more: https://wtop.com/national/2026/02/us-fine-arts-commission-is-expected-to-vote-to-advance-trumps-white-house-ballroom-proposal/
"Our sitting president has actually designed a very beautiful structure," Cook said before the voting.
He's so brilliant!
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Hat tip, Joe.My.God.
https://www.joemygod.com/2026/02/maga-commission-rubberstamps-liberaces-ballroom/
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https://www.cfa.gov/about-cfa/who-we-are
Who We Are
The Commission of Fine Arts
The Commission of Fine Arts is composed of seven members with expertise in the arts. Appointed by the President, Commission members serve four-year terms without compensation. The chairman and vice chairman are elected by the members.
The current members of the Commission are:
Rodney Mims Cook, Jr., Chairman Appointed 8 January 2026
James C. McCrery, II, Vice Chairman Appointed 14 January 2026
Mary Anne Carter Appointed 14 January 2026
Chamberlain R. Harris Appointed 27 January 2026
Roger Kimball Appointed 14 January 2026
Pamela Hughes Patenaude Appointed 27 January 2026
Matthew Taylor Appointed 14 January 2026
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That's Chamberlan R. Harris, Suma Cum Lade, to you. As far as I can tell, this is not a hoax.
Link to tweet
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