Furniture from the White House theater has been "meticulously preserved," according to a letter sent to a commission overseeing the changes, and it may be incorporated after the new structure is done.

A commission appointed by President Donald Trump approved the proposal, disagreeing with more than 2,000 public comments.

The Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency that advises the president and Congress on design plans for monuments, memorials, coins and federal buildings, is usually made up of experts in architecture,