President Trump has appointed four new members to the Commission of Fine Arts, the independent federal agency set to review his administration’s plans for a large new ballroom at the White House, including the architect who produced the initial designs for the project, according to the White House. The appointees include Mary Anne Carter, an ally of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles; Roger Kimball, an art critic and conservative writer who has repeatedly praised the president; Matthew Taylor; and James McCrery, the first architect involved in the ballroom project, a White House official said.
Mr. McCrery had previously stepped back as the lead architect after President Trump’s expanding vision for the ballroom created some tension between them, though he remains a consultant on the project and is still on good terms with the president, the official said, adding that Mr. McCrery did not immediately respond to a request for comment through a representative. Following the surprise demolition of the White House’s East Wing last year, President Trump has sought to move forward with construction of the ballroom in its place while minimizing obstacles to approval.
Last October, President Trump dismissed all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, pledging to replace them with individuals aligned with his “America First” agenda; the commission advises the federal government on architectural and design matters and is expected to review the ballroom project once the new members are formally seated. The administration has faced legal pressure from historic preservation groups to submit the project to a formal review process, though a federal judge allowed construction efforts to continue after the administration pledged to undergo such review, according to reports by The New York Times.