President Donald Trump dismissed building safety concerns during the preliminary design of a $400 million White House ballroom, telling the lead architect, I am the code
, according to reports and documents reviewed by The Washington Post.
Trump Clashed With Architect Over White House Ballroom Safety
James McCrery II, a D.C.-based architect appointed by Trump to the Commission of Fine Arts, was announced as the project’s lead architect in July 2025. However, McCrery withdrew from the project last October after repeatedly warning that Trump’s preferred preliminary design violated building safety codes. Specifically, McCrery raised concerns regarding inadequate fire-containment measures and a lack of sufficient emergency exit routes.
According to internal documents and people familiar with the matter, there was little in the design
to prevent fire from spreading quickly from the kitchen into the event space. Additional concerns included an insufficient number of bathroom stalls for the intended guest capacity; one early design reportedly featured only seven stalls in the women’s bathroom.
Executive Oversight and Regulatory Exemptions
The ballroom project is being managed through the Executive Residence, a small office that is not a federal agency. This routing exempts the project from the rules governing federal agencies, which are typically required by law to comply with nationally recognized building safety standards to the maximum extent feasible
unless national security risks are present. Additionally, the District of Columbia government lacks the jurisdiction to enforce local building codes on federal property.
Because of these exemptions, experts state that the contractors hired to design and build the ballroom are the parties responsible for adhering to safety standards. White House records indicate that discussions regarding these safety issues continued for months after McCrery’s resignation.
Presidential Involvement in Design
Documents obtained by The Washington Post show that President Trump was deeply involved in the project’s specific details, often using a black Sharpie to mark up images and floor plans. His annotations included:
- Expanding the ballroom’s footprint while erasing staircases and service corridors.
- Requesting “Corinthian columns” over a White House colonnade.
- Adding Versailles-style flourishes, including millions of dollars in gold leaf.
- Mocking McCrery’s concerns about the room’s size with a note asking,
James. And you think this is big enough
.
Beyond the ballroom, Trump has justified the project on national security grounds and has shared AI visions for a drone port atop the structure. According to the AP, this drone port would include gun-toting troops and missile-bearing unmanned aerial vehicles
.
Official Responses and Project Status
A White House official described the suggestion that McCrery left over code disputes as factually false and totally inaccurate
, stating that life safety issues have been addressed and resolved continuously as the design has evolved
. The current design team, Shalom Baranes Associates, is responsible for ensuring the East Wing meets nationally recognized fire and safety codes.
McCrery did not provide a specific reason for his resignation to the press, stating only that he stepped aside
after completing the earliest designs and that he was truly grateful for that honor
.
While Trump told reporters the project is under budget and ahead of schedule, The Washington Post previously reported that the ballroom is expected to cost hundreds of millions more than the administration has publicly acknowledged, with taxpayers expected to cover half of the cost. Despite legal challenges, the Supreme Court cleared Trump to continue construction in August.
