Team Trump's demolition of the White House's East Wing has left preservationists reeling, with nearly 70% of the historic structure now reduced to rubble. The destruction began with the removal of the entrance way, and the facade was next to go, despite earlier promises from the president that his project would not "interfere" with the existing mansion.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the outrage, calling it "fake," but experts say this is no ordinary renovation. The scope of the destruction is staggering, and preservationists are questioning why the White House's historic integrity was so callously disregarded.
The irony is not lost on critics: an authoritarian president is tearing down part of a national treasure to build a fancy ballroom for his own personal use. It raises questions about the limits of presidential power and the treatment of public property as if it were private property.
As crews continue their demolition work, officials have asked staff to refrain from taking photographs without permission, suggesting that Team Trump is not proud of its handiwork. The Washington Post obtained images of the destruction, which have sparked outrage among preservationists and Democrats alike.
The National Capital Planning Commission will review plans for the project, but experts say it's a case of too little, too late. The damage has been done, and the East Wing's historic facade is gone forever.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the outrage, calling it "fake," but experts say this is no ordinary renovation. The scope of the destruction is staggering, and preservationists are questioning why the White House's historic integrity was so callously disregarded.
The irony is not lost on critics: an authoritarian president is tearing down part of a national treasure to build a fancy ballroom for his own personal use. It raises questions about the limits of presidential power and the treatment of public property as if it were private property.
As crews continue their demolition work, officials have asked staff to refrain from taking photographs without permission, suggesting that Team Trump is not proud of its handiwork. The Washington Post obtained images of the destruction, which have sparked outrage among preservationists and Democrats alike.
The National Capital Planning Commission will review plans for the project, but experts say it's a case of too little, too late. The damage has been done, and the East Wing's historic facade is gone forever.
this is insane! like, i dont even know where to start. the fact that trumps team just went thru with destroying part of the white house is literally mind boggling. and its not like they even had a good reason 4 it either 
. like, they kept promisin that it wudnt affect the historic mansion and all, but i guess thats just code 4 "we dont care bout history" 
it just feels soooo cringeworthy. like, whats next? will he start tearin down the lincoln memorial 2 
? 
. the national capital planning commission is gonna review plans and all, but lets be realz, the damage is done 
The fact that they even had plans to build a fancy ballroom in the first place is just insane 
I mean what's next? Are we gonna start tearing down museums and stuff too? 
Its all about power and control, you know? And now its gone forever 
. Like, what even is the point of having a White House if you're just gonna rip it apart for some fancy ballroom 
? And don't even get me started on the 'no photography' rule... if they're not proud of their handiwork, why hide it from the public? 
I'm literally shaking with rage! Like, what is wrong with this dude?! 
It's like, hello, isn't that private property (nope) or national treasure (oh wait, apparently not)? 
And can we talk about the fact that officials are trying to keep staff from taking pictures? Like, isn't this supposed to be some sort of public thing (nope)? 
who do you think is behind this demolition?? 
team trump's destruction is insane and they're already asking staff not to take pics without permission lol like who's gonna be able to see it now 
preservationists are totally right though, this is a huge deal and it's so not cool that they disregarded the building's integrity. i mean, come on, it's the white house we're talking about! shouldn't it be protected instead of being torn down? 
The irony of having an authoritarian president destroying part of a national treasure for his own personal use is just...wow 
. And who knows, maybe this is actually a chance for the White House to break away from tradition and become more inclusive? I mean, we can always learn from our mistakes, right?