WASHINGTON (TNND) — All six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, responsible for reviewing presidential construction projects, were fired by the White House on Tuesday.
The Commission of Fine Arts is an independent federal agency that would have reviewed President Donald Trump’s construction of the White House ballroom.
The White House is “preparing to appoint a new slate of members to the commission that are more aligned with President Trump’s America First Policies,” according to an official, NBC News reports.
The official said that the six members of the commission were appointed by former President Joe Biden and were informed of their termination via email.
The firings were first reported by The Washington Post.
The main purpose of the board is to be independent and advise the president and Congress on design and aesthetics.
“The Commission reviews designs proposed for memorials, coins, medals, and new or renovated government buildings, as well as privately owned properties in certain areas of Washington under the Shipstead-Luce and Old Georgetown Acts,” the commission’s website reads.
Trump recently announced that he and other donors would be funding the construction of a 90,000 square foot ballroom in the place of the East Wing.
The East Wing has already been demolished, resulting in pushback from Trump’s critics, including California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Trump has denied rumors that he would be naming the ballroom after himself.
