The rushed demolition of the White House’s East Wing appears to break a longstanding policy requiring a federal commission to oversee and approve construction projects in Washington, D.C., before demolition begins, former officials involved in the process told ABC News.

While the approval process is rooted in federal law and has been observed by past administrations, former officials said there was no clear mechanism — administrative or legal — to reverse or halt the demolition, and the commission tasked with approving the construction is led by Trump’s own appointees.

Images appeared to show that the entire White House East Wing had been demolished Thursday to make way for Trump’s privately funded $300 million ballroom.

“Over the years, many presidents have made changes. This obviously would be the biggest change,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

According to one former official who oversaw projects during the president’s first term — as well as the Trump Organization’s 2013-16 renovation of the Old Post Office building into a hotel — both Trump’s company and his first administration previously participated in the required approval process.

Here are answers to some of the top questions surrounding the project.

What laws govern the construction of federal buildings in DC?

Construction of federal buildings in D.C. — including the White House — is overseen by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), a 12-member agency under the executive branch.

The commission handles central planning for any federal government projects in the National Capital Region, including the district, as well as parts of Virginia and Maryland.

The NCPC adopts a comprehensive plan for the city, reviews and approves construction projects and adopts regular improvement plans.

Established under the National Capital Planning Act of 1952, the NCPC’s authorities have since been expanded by additional legislation. The commission is typically staffed with engineers, architects and historic preservation specialists, though it is currently closed due to the government shutdown.

Has the White House sought approval for the project?

Plans for the ballroom have not yet been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission, despite the demolition taking place, though a White House official confirmed to ABC News that the White House still intends to submit plans for the build to the commission.

Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary, currently chairs the NCPC, which is comprised of three Trump appointees, members of federal agencies and D.C. representatives.

“I know the president thinks very highly of this commission, and I’m excited for us to play a role in the ballroom project when the time is appropriate for us to do so,” Scharf said at a commission meeting last month.

What is the review process?

According to L. Preston Bryant, Jr., a former chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, the NCPC uses a three-stage process to approve projects.

Early in the project, the federal agency handling the building — the National Park Service is leading the ballroom project — begins sharing concepts of the building, including about 10% of the design drawings, for a collaborative consultation process, according to Bryant.

The federal agency can then seek preliminary approval after sharing approximately 30% of the design drawings, followed by final approval after sharing about 70% of the designs.

The Commission of Fine Arts also has authority to review what construction projects match the “design and aesthetics” of Washington, D.C., though it does not have approval power.

When does the NCPC usually get involved in a project?

The NCPC normally approves a project before demolition can begin, according to Bryant.

The White House has suggested that they do not need to seek approval to demolish the East Wing because construction is distinct from demolition.

Multiple former NCPC officials, however, told ABC News that approval must be obtained before demolition can begin.

“The demolition element is inherent in the overall project. Demo is not separated from construction. It’s part of it,” Bryant said. “What’s being demolished impacts the site design, what’s being constructed in its place, the change in views, and more.”

“In my nine years at NCPC, I don’t recall ever separating — not considering — what might be demolished from what might be constructed,” said Bryant. “Indeed, there may be some parts of a new construction projects that merit salvaging parts of what’s currently there and incorporating that salvaged part into the new design.”

How far along is the ballroom project?

According to the White House, Trump has held “several meetings with members of the White House Staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office and the United States Secret Service to discuss design features and planning.”

Trump has also selected McCrery Architects, Clark Construction and AECOM engineering as project leads.

The White House has provided some renderings of the project but has provided no further details about the design.

Could anyone have sued to stop the project?

Former officials noted that members of the public and nonprofits groups had limited options to stop the demolition.

While violations of the National Capital Planning Act could have been pursued using the Administrative Procedure Act, the strategy is unproven and it is unclear if nonprofit organizations could demonstrate standing to bring a lawsuit, one official said.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sent a letter to the White House to express concerns about the project and request the Trump administration “pause demolition until plans for the proposed ballroom go through the legally required public review processes, including consultation and review by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, and to invite comment from the public.”

Priya Jain, the Chair of the Heritage Conservation Committee of the Society of Architectural Historians, told ABC News that her organization has not seen any studies or additional information about the project.

“I heard the president talking saying that these studies have been done and a lot of architects have weighed in on it. I think our wish and goal is to be able to see these studies and deliberations, so we can be sure that, indeed, the demolition of the East Wing was the best possible solution,” she said.

Is Trump aware of the oversight process?

According to former government officials involved in the approval process, the Trump administration has previously participated in the NCPC process.

When first lady Melania Trump built a new tennis court at the White House during Trump’s first term, the NCPC approved the project, one official noted.

Trump similarly had to seek approval from the NCPC when Trump’s company, before he become president, renovated the historic Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., to convert it into a hotel after the Trump Organization signed a lease on the building in 2013.

Despite being funded with private funds, the project still required NCPC approval.

Isn’t the White House a protected historical building?

The White House and all buildings in the President’s Park, including the Treasury building and the Old Executive Office Building, are exempt from the law that protects typically historic buildings thanks to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, though the White House is still covered by the National Capital Planning Act of 1952.