Trump’s ballroom architect quit after president dismissed safety concerns with the design: report

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The architect who worked on the preliminary design of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom stepped down last year after repeatedly raising concerns that the plans violated building safety codes, according to a report.

Trump selected D.C.-based James McCrery II as the lead architect on the project, announced by the White House in July 2025. But a few months later, the classical architect resigned following clashes with the president, according to The Washington Post.

In the weeks prior to leaving the project, McCrery aired concerns about inadequate emergency exits and fire safety measures, according to the outlet. In one reported exchange, the president responded by arguing that the building codes don’t apply to White House construction, telling McCrery, “I am the code.”

The newspaper obtained documents, including preliminary drawings of the ballroom scrawled with notes in Trump’s signature black Sharpie. One of them appeared to mock the architect’s concerns over Trump’s wishes to increase the size of the ballroom. “James. And you think this is big enough,” the note said.

Another note for McCrery written in Sharpie over an image of a White House colonnade said, “James - great look - but Corinthian columns.” The president is known to favor the ornate columns.

McCrery, appointed by Trump to the Commission of Fine Arts, did not offer a specific reason for his departure from the project to the Post.

A White House official said that it was “factually false and totally inaccurate” to suggest McCrery left the project over issues with the code, touting him as a “valued member of the initial design team.”

The Independent has contacted McCrery’s office for further comment.

Trump’s White House ballroom project is being overseen by the Executive Residence, a small office that is not required to follow federal rules. Typically, it is responsible for routine repairs to the People’s House, entertainment expenses and the purchase of decorative furniture and artwork, not major construction projects, which are usually handled by the General Services Administration or National Park Service.

McCrery left the project on October 20 last year, the week demolition began on the historic East Wing, according to documents reviewed by the newspaper.

His chief concerns with the preliminary design were reportedly that the plans were not up to fire safety codes, ensuring guests can swiftly exit through the main entrance in an emergency, and that alternative exits were “insufficient.”

There was reportedly “little in the design” that would prevent a fire from quickly spreading from the kitchen into the event space.

Another major concern was the lack of bathroom stalls for the number of guests. In an early design, the women’s bathroom reportedly only had seven stalls.

At a meeting on September 30, White House officials discussed “areas of concern” raised by contractors working on the ballroom. One of the notes reportedly said, “Life safety — big concern.”

A White House official said compliance with safety codes has always been a priority and the life safety issues have been addressed and resolved continuously. Addressing McCrery’s departure, the official added that a decision was made to move in another direction for the second phase of the project but did not elaborate.

McCrery said that he was “truly grateful” to have worked with Trump on the project in a statement to the Post but did not elaborate on the reason for his departure. “Having completed the earliest designs, I stepped aside and a new firm was engaged,” he said.

Trump’s ballroom is unpopular with the public and has faced legal challenges, but the president has justified the project due to national security, sharing AI visions for a drone port atop the ballroom.

The Supreme Court in August cleared Trump to continue construction as the legal challenge moves ahead.