‘A National Disgrace’: Democratic Lawmakers Demand Swift Investigation Into Donald Trump’s Secretive and Illegal East Wing Demolition Deal With ACECO.

‘A National Disgrace’: Lawmakers Demand Investigation Into Trump’s Secretive East Wing Demolition Deal With ACECO

November 23, 2025

In a move that has ignited bipartisan fury and drawn sharp rebukes from preservationists, environmental advocates, and even some conservative voices, the rapid demolition of the White House’s historic East Wing has become the epicenter of a burgeoning scandal. What began as President Donald Trump’s ambitious vision for a lavish, privately funded ballroom has devolved into allegations of regulatory shortcuts, hazardous material mishandling, and a shadowy contract with Maryland-based demolition firm ACECO LLC. Now, a cadre of U.S. lawmakers is calling for a full congressional investigation, labeling the affair “a national disgrace” that threatens public health, historic integrity, and taxpayer accountability.

The controversy erupted in late October 2025, when heavy machinery emblazoned with ACECO’s logo rolled onto the White House grounds, reducing the 123-year-old East Wing—a neoclassical structure completed in 1902 and expanded during World War II—to a pile of rubble in mere days. The wing, long home to the Office of the First Lady and key administrative functions, was meant to make way for a sprawling 90,000-square-foot “state ballroom” touted by Trump as a modern upgrade for hosting world leaders. Priced at an estimated $300 million and ostensibly bankrolled by private donors—including major corporations like Clark Construction and AECOM—the project was sold as a non-intrusive expansion that “won’t interfere with the current building.” Yet, within weeks, the entire wing lay in ruins, prompting widespread outrage and a cascade of legal and ethical questions.

The Secretive Deal: Bypassing Oversight and History

At the heart of the scandal is the opaque contract awarded to ACECO, a Silver Spring, Maryland-based firm with 86 years of experience in demolition but a troubling recent history. The company’s Washington, D.C., asbestos-abatement license was revoked in 2022 following violations reported by The Washington Post, raising immediate red flags about its suitability for a project involving a century-old building rife with potential hazards like asbestos, lead, and mold. Trump administration officials have stonewalled requests for details on the bidding process, claiming the deal was expedited under emergency executive authority to address “structural deficiencies.” Critics, however, point to a pattern of insider maneuvering: Just months into his second term, Trump fired three members of the Biden-era National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC)—the federal body tasked with reviewing White House alterations—and replaced them with loyalists, effectively sidelining public input. The NCPC’s Trump-appointed chair then declared the demolition “outside our jurisdiction,” allowing work to proceed without the usual environmental impact assessments or historic preservation reviews.

“This isn’t governance; it’s a demolition derby,” fumed Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who fired off a blistering letter to ACECO on October 30, demanding records on permits, hazardous material surveys, and worker safety protocols. Markey’s missive, echoed by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), accuses the firm of potentially “gambl[ing] with people’s health” by skipping required notifications under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). “The East Wing demanded the highest standards of care, not the lowest bid and a blind eye toward regulation,” Markey wrote.

ACECO’s response? Silence. The company has ignored media inquiries, taken its website offline (now displaying only an “under construction” message), and seen its social media profiles vanish amid a torrent of online vitriol. Public backlash has been fierce: ACECO’s Google rating plummeted from five stars to 1.8 before rebounding to 4.3 after review platforms temporarily halted postings due to harassment.