“She looked like she’d seen a ghost when I asked the question.” – Tension ERUPTS as ABC News reporter corners Karoline Leavitt about a secretive East Wing demolition that no one was supposed to mention, leaving officials scrambling for answers and reporters stunned.

The White House press room turned electric after one bold question shattered the calm. Karoline Leavitt, usually poised and unshakable, froze for a brief second when asked why construction crews were spotted tearing down parts of the East Wing under cover of night. Witnesses say the silence that followed was deafening before aides rushed to shut the topic down. What are they hiding? And why has no one else reported it? Rumors are already swirling that the demolition could be tied to an undisclosed renovation—or something far more explosive.

Watch the full exchange that sent the press room into chaos and decide for yourself what really happened behind those closed doors.

Karoline Leavitt scrambled to explain why the administration decided to demolish the East Wing of the White House this week without any notice after being confronted by ABC News.

Mary Bruce, the network’s chief White House correspondent, pointed to how the president promised the construction would not interfere with the mansion itself when it was announced in July during Leavitt’s 1pm briefing Thursday.

ABC News obtained aerial images of the building completely in tatters earlier in the day, paving the way for Bruce’s questions.

She asked: ‘The president had initially said that this project wouldn’t interfere with, or touch the current structure. Now he says to do this properly, he realized that the East Wing had to be demolished.

‘This is the people’s house. Why not inform the public of that change and when it was decided that the East Wing would have to be demolished?’

Leavitt, stammering at points, said: ‘With any construction project, changes come.

‘And we have informed all of you. We’ve been keeping you apprised of this project. We’ve shown you the renderings. And if you look at the renderings, it’s very clear the East Wing was going to be modernized.

‘In fact, I said that in the briefing when we initially introduced this plan to all of you and to the public. The East-‘

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ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce grilled Karoline Leavitt at her press briefing at the White House Thursday for not notifying the American public that the complex’s East Wing would need to be demolished to make way for Donald Trump $250million ballroom

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Leavitt, stammering at points, said: ‘With any construction project, changes come,’ while not directly answering Bruce’s question

Bruce interrupted to point out that ‘modernizing and tearing down are two different things.’

‘Well, again, the president-, the plans changed when the president heard counsel from the architects and the construction companies who said that in order for this East Wing to be modern and beautiful for many, many years to come,’ Leavitt said.

‘For it to be a truly strong and stable structure, this phase one that we’re now in was necessary.

‘And the president wants to do right by the people’s house. And so that’s exactly what he’s doing.

‘It’s going to be, again, like I said, much more stable, strong, secure, and more beautiful than ever once it’s complete,’ she said.

Bruce pressed: ‘Where will those be? The First Lady’s offices, the Social Secretary’s offices in the east – they will be back where they were?’

Leavitt replied ‘yes’, before moving on to other reporters.

The work is being done to make way for Trump’s gilded $250 million ballroom.

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Images showed the building completely in tatters Thursday, paving the way for Bruce’s questions

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Leavitt pointed to visuals the White House released of the planned ballroom back in July. She said the demolition is necessary so the building could be ‘modernized’ with 90,000 square feet of new space

The East Wing traditionally serves as the base of operations for the first lady.

It laid in tatters Monday as construction crews began to take it apart.

Dramatic photos of the project first emerged Monday morning.

Trump maintained on Truth Social that the building was ‘completely separate from the White House itself’ and ‘is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!’

Renderings touted by Leavitt on Thursday show the 25,000-square-foot finished product.

It is set to accommodate hundreds for state dinners and other such events once complete.

The addition will be the first structural change to the building since renovations were ordered under then-President Harry Truman in 1948.