The White House’s Movie Theater Is Among the East Wing Rubble

In remarks to reporters on Wednesday defending the demolition, Mr. Trump was generally dismissive of the East Wing, which was also home to the White House visitor’s office and the office of the first lady.

“It was never thought of as being much,” Mr. Trump said of the East Wing. “It was a very small building.”

Converted from a cloakroom by Franklin Roosevelt in 1942, the White House Family Theater served as a place for the presidential family to view movies, television and sporting events. It was modernized with a new screen and Dolby sound system during the Reagan administration. A remodeling in 2004 overseen by Laura Bush introduced vintage-style red plush chairs, red carpet and gold trim.

In a system set up by the Kennedy administration, the Motion Picture Association delivered prints of first-run films to both the White House and Camp David at the president’s request. Paul Fischer, the official White House projectionist from 1953 to 1986, kept handwritten notes on the screenings, which later became the basis of the 2003 documentary “All the President’s Movies.”