President Donald Trump insisted in July that the $250 million project, which he said would be financed by him and private donors, “won’t interfere with the current building.”

Part of the White House East Wing was demolished on Monday as President Donald Trump sets out to build a massive ballroom.

The 20-day U.S. federal government shutdown is likely to end this week, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Monday.

President Trump said construction has begun on the new White House Ballroom that is privately funded by patriots and companies. The historic $200M project modernizes the East Wing.

The president had pledged that construction wouldn’t “interfere with the current building,” a promise that always seemed unrealistic given the grand scale of the plans.

In an agreement with the American Federation of Teachers, the White House said it will again start processing student loan forgiveness for eligible borrowers.

Trump has frustrated Australia with his sweeping tariffs scheme, imposing an import tax of 10% on most of its goods - 50% for aluminium and steel - something seen as a breach of a decades-long free trade agreement. "This is not the act of a friend," Albanese said at the time.