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White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt blamed the outrage on the demolition of a portion of the White House for construction work President Donald Trump’s new ballroom On the alleged “jealousy” of the Democrats.
Demolition of East Wing begins This week for Trump’s planned $250 million ballroom project, which is being Privately funded. Some architecture groups have expressed concern over the accelerated pace of the historic building’s demolition, while some Democrats have pointed out that the process began during the government shutdown. There was also public outrage when photographs emerged of the demolition of the East Wing, which houses the First Lady’s office, to make room for the ballroom.
“Are the Democrats jealous that Trump is building this big beautiful ballroom?” Fox News host Jesse Waters asked Levitt on his show Tuesday night.
“It sure seems that way, Jessie,” she began. “I believe there is a lot of fake outrage right now because almost every president who has lived in this beautiful White House since me has modernized and renovated his own.”
“While many presidents have dreamed about it privately, it is President Trump who is actually doing something about it. He is the builder-in-chief,” Leavitt continued.
He said, “He’s done it his whole life, his whole career. Construction is a process. In the end, the East Wing, which is a completely different structure from the executive mansion you see behind me, will be more modern and beautiful than ever before.”
“And then on top of that, there’s going to be a big beautiful ballroom in the White House for future generations of Americans to enjoy. And the best part about all of this is that it’s not going to cost a dime of taxpayers’ money.”
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom is being funded by a group of wealthy donors, including the president, who has said he will personally contribute to the project.
Last week, Trump hosted a fundraiser at the White House — which was attended by representatives Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, meta, Google, Amazon and Palantir Technologies – whom Trump thanked for giving “a huge amount of money to see the ballroom built for the first time in the White House”.
Additionally, YouTube is giving $22 million to support the construction of the White House State Ballroom as part of a settlement with Trump over the decision to ban his account from the social media platform in the wake of the 2021 Capitol riot. court documents,
“I am pleased to announce that White House grounds have been broken for the construction of the new, larger, beautiful White House Ballroom. Completely separate from the White House, the East Wing is being completely modernized as part of this process, and when completed it will be more beautiful than ever!” trump wrote Satya Social on Monday.
While the President may be thrilled with the project, some Democrats have described the project as “disgraceful”, pointing out that Trump is leading a “billionaire ballroom” at a time of economic turmoil and government shutdowns.
“Trump’s Billionaire Ballroom. It’s a Disgrace. Welcome to the Second Gilded Age,” Florida Representative Darren Soto wrote,
“During the War of 1812, British troops set fire to the White House, destroying the historic building. Now, Trump, who portrays himself as a king, is doing the dirty work himself, tearing down people’s homes to build a gaudy Marie Antoinette ballroom for billionaires and CEOs to party while Americans are crushed by inflation and tariffs,” Maryland Rep. jamie raskin Tweeted,
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat. mentioned The shutdown, which continues into its fourth week: “Nearly 2 million Illinoisans will see their SNAP benefits end on Nov. 1 — but Trump has no problem spending money to build his own ballroom, kick out Argentina and buy Kristi Noem two private jets.”
Architecture groups have also raised concerns over whether the traditional process is being followed when it comes to replacing such a historic building.
“While we recognize that the White House is a building with changing needs and has undergone various exterior and interior modifications since construction began in 1792, the proposed ballroom would be the first major change to its exterior appearance in 83 years,” the Society of Architectural Historians said in a statement. statement Last week. “Therefore, such a significant change to this imported historic building must follow a rigorous and thoughtful design and review process.”
American Institute of Architects caution In August: “Although the ballroom project may have secured private funding, the White House is not a private building.” The group said: “Any amendments to this – especially amendments of this magnitude – must reflect the importance, scale and symbolic weight of the White House.”
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Despite the outrage, Trump is not the first president to make changes to the White House.
In the early 1900s, the West Wing was doubled in size by President Teddy Roosevelt, “transforming it from a crazy quilt of changes over time into a harmonious statement of modern times,” according to White House Historical Association,
It was one of many changes that have occurred at the White House over the past 125 years. In 1909, William Taft expanded the West Wing and created the first Oval Office. In 1934, Franklin D. Roosevelt rebuilt the West Wing, added a swimming pool, and moved the Oval Office to its current location. In 1948, Harry Truman renovated much of the White House interior and expanded its footprint. In 1970, Richard Nixon added a bowling alley to the basement.
The Rose Garden has also gone through several modernisations. The garden was first created by First Lady Edith Roosevelt in 1903 and used to accommodate small gatherings. During his tenure, President John F. Kennedy requested that it be renovated to a more open design. National Park ServiceThe historic garden was renovated again in 2020, during Trump’s first term.