A black veil was cast across the nation this week. The White House’s East Wing was demolished to be replaced with President Donald Trump’s 90,000 square-foot, $300 million ballroom. The wing housed the offices of past First Ladies and served as the visitors’ entrance before it was reduced to wreckage for a fancy auditorium. It was reconstructed many times over various administrations, with decades of history soaked into every wall. It is now being replaced with a glorified dance floor.
The demolition of the East Wing is a tragedy that should not have happened. The Trump administration was dishonest about the construction of the ballroom and its subsequent effects on the once-standing structure.
According to official statements, “The White House Ballroom will be substantially separated from the main building of the White House.” The ballroom was said to be completely detached from the White House itself, yet there is now a pile of rubble where the historic East Wing once stood.
Trump lied to the public; there was no mention of the “King” doing a complete remodel. In recent news clips, he was recorded saying, “It won’t interfere with the current building,” and “It’ll be near it, but not touching it.”
Trump went back on his word, destroying part of a major monument. Trump demolished an American symbol of hope, turning it into a subject of “Extreme Makeover,” White House edition.
There is nothing wrong with a desire to renovate the White House. Since its construction, the monument has undergone changes, though these developments were solely interior or minor. The Rose Garden, established under John F. Kennedy, was a beautiful sanctuary used as hosting grounds for state dinners, diplomatic discussions and even a presidential wedding. The only other time the White House was gutted was under President Harry S. Truman, when the structure was on the brink of collapse. Yet, Truman only revitalized the interior. Past presidents contributed to the history of the White House, adding to and improving the building for the future. They did not throw a wrecking ball into the structure’s historical integrity, permanently obliterating years of time and construction.
Trump’s decision to level the East Wing was unnecessary and insulting to America’s history. Trump has the right to renovate his home, but not to demolish integral parts of the White House without transparency. The White House is known as “The People’s House,” belonging to all Americans. It belongs to the public, not the president. Trump wrecked America’s home and has once again betrayed the people’s trust.
