The White House fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency that would have reviewed President Donald Trump's ballroom construction project.
The White House is “preparing to appoint a new slate of members to the commission that are more aligned with President Trump’s America First Policies” and that the six board members — all of whom were appointed by former President Joe Biden — were informed they were “terminated, effective immediately.”
The board members were dismissed after Trump announced plans to build an arch along the Potomac River echoing the design of France’s Arc de Triomphe and a new ballroom where the White House’s East Wing stood.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a nonprofit organization created by Congress to help preserve historic buildings. The Trust sent a letter last week urging the Trump administration to stop the East Wing’s demolition until ballroom plans went through the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission, which is also tasked with reviewing and giving feedback on construction projects in Washington.
Main Image: White House Ballroom, render, Courtesy The White House