JUST IN: Trump Replaces Architect for His $300 Million Ballroom Amid Tensions

President Donald Trump holds an table seating chart of the new White House ballroom as meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump has reportedly replaced the architect in charge of his massive White House ballroom construction project.

News of the shake-up was reported Thursday by The Washington Post. According to the outlet, three sources confirmed that Trump replaced James McRery III, who led design efforts for the $300 million ballroom. McRery was previously handpicked by the president himself.

The Washington Post report continued:

Trump has chosen architect Shalom Baranes, who’s been designing and renovating government buildings in Washington for decades, to pick up the mantle, according to two of the people. Baranes’s firm has handled a number of large Washington projects dating back decades, including projects involving the main Treasury building near the White House and the headquarters of the General Services Administration.

In late November, The Washington Post first reported that Trump and McRery were not seeing eye-to-eye on the vision for the project. The point of contention reportedly revolved around the size of the ballroom, as the estimated dimensions would dwarf the White House itself. The White House stands at 55,000 square feet, and the proposed ballroom would nearly double that at 90,000.

Although McRery has been replaced, both the White House and his representatives have maintained that he remains involved in the project “in a ‘consulting’ role.”