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Thursday, Oct 30, 2025
Outside the box.
White House Terminates Historic Arts Review Panel Ahead of Trump Construction Plans
President Donald Trump fires all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts as his ambitious ballroom and arch projects advance
The White House dismissed all six members of the independent Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) on October 28, 2025, a move that coincides with the advancing construction plans of President Donald Trump, including a new presidential ballroom and a proposed monument styled after the Parisian Arc de Triomphe.
An email to one commissioner stated: “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission of Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately.”
The CFA, established in 1910, traditionally advises the President, Congress and federal and District of Columbia authorities on design and aesthetic issues for public buildings, monuments and memorials in the Washington D.C. area.
The six commissioners whose terms extended into 2028 were appointed during the previous administration and had anticipated reviewing the President’s ballroom and triumphal-arch plans.
A White House official confirmed the terminations and remarked that a new slate of commissioners “more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies” will be appointed.
The personnel change follows earlier alterations to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), which now counts Trump allies in key positions.
In July 2025 the NCPC majority was shifted, and its chair, Will Scharf, publicly declared that demolition of part of the White House’s East Wing could proceed without prior NCPC approval.
The broader context includes the initiation of demolition work beginning on October 20, 2025, of a section of the White House East Wing—cleared to make way for President Trump’s privately-funded ballroom project.
The structure has been reported to cost between US$250 million to US$300 million and will expand capacity to roughly 900–1,000 guests.
Critics and preservation groups have raised concerns about the lack of review and the use of an exemption that lets the Executive Residence bypass certain historic-preservation laws.
Architectural and preservation professionals noted the firings mark a sharp shift in how federal review is managed.
One departing commissioner, architect Bruce Becker, said the CFA “plays an important role in shaping the way the public experiences our nation’s capital and the historic buildings it contains, which serve as symbols of our democracy.” Observers say the move underscores an effort by the administration to fast-track signature construction initiatives with fewer institutional checks.
The termination of the CFA members does not legally halt the projects—but signals that the administration aims to control the design review process and install officials aligned with its construction agenda.
The incoming commission appointments and the detailed structure of the projects will become key focal points in Washington’s architectural and political spheres as the ballroom and arch plans move into their next phases.
An email to one commissioner stated: “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission of Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately.”
The CFA, established in 1910, traditionally advises the President, Congress and federal and District of Columbia authorities on design and aesthetic issues for public buildings, monuments and memorials in the Washington D.C. area.
The six commissioners whose terms extended into 2028 were appointed during the previous administration and had anticipated reviewing the President’s ballroom and triumphal-arch plans.
A White House official confirmed the terminations and remarked that a new slate of commissioners “more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies” will be appointed.
The personnel change follows earlier alterations to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), which now counts Trump allies in key positions.
In July 2025 the NCPC majority was shifted, and its chair, Will Scharf, publicly declared that demolition of part of the White House’s East Wing could proceed without prior NCPC approval.
The broader context includes the initiation of demolition work beginning on October 20, 2025, of a section of the White House East Wing—cleared to make way for President Trump’s privately-funded ballroom project.
The structure has been reported to cost between US$250 million to US$300 million and will expand capacity to roughly 900–1,000 guests.
Critics and preservation groups have raised concerns about the lack of review and the use of an exemption that lets the Executive Residence bypass certain historic-preservation laws.
Architectural and preservation professionals noted the firings mark a sharp shift in how federal review is managed.
One departing commissioner, architect Bruce Becker, said the CFA “plays an important role in shaping the way the public experiences our nation’s capital and the historic buildings it contains, which serve as symbols of our democracy.” Observers say the move underscores an effort by the administration to fast-track signature construction initiatives with fewer institutional checks.
The termination of the CFA members does not legally halt the projects—but signals that the administration aims to control the design review process and install officials aligned with its construction agenda.
The incoming commission appointments and the detailed structure of the projects will become key focal points in Washington’s architectural and political spheres as the ballroom and arch plans move into their next phases.
