See the East Wing demolition from satellite images

By Thomas Bordeaux, CNN

(CNN) — As excavators dug into the side of the White House this week, photos and videos made clear just how dramatically President Donald Trump’s plans to build a new ballroom will affect the historic structure.

Now, satellite images offer a new perspective on the scope of the work.

A satellite image taken Thursday morning shows the entire East Wing of the White House has been demolished. Piles of debris outline where the building, which traditionally served as the office of the First Lady, once stood.

In a spot that previously housed a portico, an excavator can be seen consolidating the rubble to be hauled away. The colonnade that led from the Executive Residence to the East Wing has also been nearly removed, with only the last section, which touches the Residence, remaining.

Nearby, construction for the ballroom that will replace the East Wing is already underway. A small area that could be part of the new building’s foundation has been excavated, and a cement mixer can be seen waiting in front of the Treasury Department.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged to reporters Thursday that the scope of the project had grown over time. She urged the public to “trust the process” on the construction and said that the administration was being transparent.

“When this plan was presented, and when these renderings, as soon as they were complete, the president directed me to come out here and to share them with all of you. I did an entire opening remarks about what this ballroom project was going to look like,” Leavitt said from the White House briefing room. “With any construction project, there are changes over time, as you assess what the project is going to look like, and we’ll continue to keep you apprised of all of those changes, but just trust the process.”

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