An Arts Commission made up of Trump appointees approves his proposal for a massive ballroom in the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of appointees of President Donald Trump, on Thursday approved his proposal to build a ballroom larger than the White House itself where the East Wing once stood.

Read more: Trump appointees are questioning the design and size of the White House ballroom, asking to see 3D models

The meeting was supposed to be about the design, and a final vote is expected at next month’s session. But the commission’s chairman, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., made a motion to also vote on final approval, and six of the seven commissioners appointed by the Republican president since the beginning of the year voted in favor twice. One of the commissioners, James McCreary, did not vote because he was the project’s first architect.

“Our current president has designed a very beautiful structure,” Cook said before the vote. “The United States should not entertain the world in tents.”

Cook echoed one of Trump’s arguments for adding a ballroom to the White House: It would end the long-standing practice of erecting temporary structures that Trump calls tents on the South Lawn to host visiting dignitaries for state dinners and other events.

No other president has taken steps to correct that, “even President Trump,” Cook said.

The project will be the subject of additional discussion by the National Capital Planning Commission in March.

At a January Fine Arts Commission meeting, some commissioners questioned the lead architect about the “colossal” design and scale of the project, even as they broadly supported Trump’s vision for a ballroom nearly twice the size of the White House itself.

Some proposed changes were made at that meeting and were welcomed by commissioners Thursday.

Trump’s October decision to demolish the East Wing sparked public outrage when it proceeded without the independent reviews, congressional approval and public comment that are typical of even relatively minor alterations to historic buildings in Washington.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop construction of the ballroom. The court’s decision in this case is still pending.

The project is scheduled to be discussed further at the March 5 meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by a senior Trump White House aide. The committee has jurisdiction over major construction and renovations of government buildings in the region.