Trump knocking down historic East Wing to build Ballroom - is this LEGAL?

[Yttrium]

I don't mind them replacing the East Wing, but I wish they would do it with something more appropriate for the office of a US president.

Like a bowling alley. Or a miniature golf course.

 

[Postvieww]

As an Aussie looking on - I just shake my head in wonder.

First - he was meant to be talking to the head of NATO.

Second - he decides he would rather bring out plans for his ballroom. "No body's ever seen anything like it."
(I mean - can he learn another phrase?)

Third - is this even LEGAL? Isn't there history that should be preserved? Isn't this part of a National Trust or something?

Fourth - who is paying for it?
Because now the bill's gone up to $300 MILLION.
Great estimates Trump! Nice job!

For a gaudy, golden throne-room to his NPD. I mean - I guess it makes sense to retrofit the whole place after his own heart. He owns it. According to his latest Truth Social fantasies - he's the King who poos on his people!

And this is the ultimate metaphor for it.

Tearing down the rose garden, ancient trees, and now the East Wing itself - and remaking it in his own image.

Take a breath. Trump and private individuals are paying for it. Trump is about the 13th or 14th president to do major renovations to the White House. Obama had a 300 million + project. It must be exhausting for some to hate Trump so much!

 

[Apple Sky]

He really does want to be Vladimir Putin.

View attachment 371963

 

[FAITH-IN-HIM]

Is that the leftist version of an ordinary ballroom?

I don’t know.

The point is that, as previous presidents have had the authority to remodel the White House, President Trump also possesses this right. Future presidents will similarly be able to modify the White House according to their preferences, whether it results in a ballroom or reflects a political gesture.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hosting 1,000 people for an official function of a head of state is not extravagant. As I noted in another thread, my office Christmas party could get that big if everybody attended.

The "people's building" is a lot smaller than you might think if you haven't seen it up close. For what it does, or what it represents, it should be a lot bigger than it is.



I counted 1,080 on the prints he held up. It could probably do 999 + a small stage.

Then that is the capacity, 1080. I sort of calculated the footprint. Around 90' w x 240' L, around 20K sq.ft. I believe the East Wing was 20K square ft. total with 2 stories, not including the subterranean Presidential bunker.
I wonder what the additional 50K will be used for? Still a mystery to me.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Then that is the capacity, 1080. I sort of calculated the footprint. Around 90' w x 240' L, around 20K sq.ft. I believe the East Wing was 20K square ft. total with 2 stories, not including the subterranean Presidential bunker.
I wonder what the additional 50K will be used for? Still a mystery to me.

I don't think the 70-90k sq ft estimate is accurate. If the footprint of the center residence is ~18-19,000 sq ft (55k total over 3 floors), then, just eyeballing it, this looks to be maybe 30-35k.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

After all of this hand wringing, I certainly hope no future president ever uses this ballroom.

I hope future candidates run on specifically tearing down this monstrosity, selling off the materials and donating the money to the Smithsonian.

First order of business.

 

[pgp_protector]

oh my's - a wall of the East Wing has been demolished!

A non taxpayer funded ballroom is going in. With as many international leaders that are visiting - seems to be a need for state dinners etc.

The project, estimated at around $200 million, is being paid for entirely through private donations rather than federal funds, according to the administration. Trump has touted the expansion as a "gift to the American people."

Now compare it with the Democrat Governor of CA:

In California, a $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion renovation of the state’s Capitol complex in Sacramento is underway—a project financed entirely by taxpayers. The renovation will make the State Capitol "one of the most expensive buildings in the United States."

The so-called Capitol Annex Project is a taxpayer-funded overhaul of the 1950s-era state Capitol complex in Sacramento, intended to replace the aging annex with a modern, 525,000-square-foot facility featuring new offices, hearing rooms, and an underground garage. Originally estimated at about $500 million, the project’s cost has since ballooned to between $1.1 and $1.6 billion, according to KCRA.

Outrage - ZERO

A bit more than just a wall of the East Wing was demolished.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

I wonder how long the average building permit takes to process in a city like DC.

 

[Hazelelponi]

As an Aussie looking on - I just shake my head in wonder.

First - he was meant to be talking to the head of NATO.

Second - he decides he would rather bring out plans for his ballroom. "No body's ever seen anything like it."
(I mean - can he learn another phrase?)

Third - is this even LEGAL? Isn't there history that should be preserved? Isn't this part of a National Trust or something?

Fourth - who is paying for it?
Because now the bill's gone up to $300 MILLION.
Great estimates Trump! Nice job!

For a gaudy, golden throne-room to his NPD. I mean - I guess it makes sense to retrofit the whole place after his own heart. He owns it. According to his latest Truth Social fantasies - he's the King who poos on his people!

And this is the ultimate metaphor for it.

Tearing down the rose garden, ancient trees, and now the East Wing itself - and remaking it in his own image.

No presidents do change things in or with the White House all the time. They might put in a new family movie theater or a basketball court like I believe Obama did or they put a second floor on an existing structure or or or.

There's a small process but every administration leaves a mark I think. It's kinda cool.

I'm with you on feeling like the ballroom came from out of the blue but that's Trump, no one can keep up.

As an American it's a bigger project but there's a group of donors funding it so it's fine.

Foreign dignitaries might generally like it and I suppose it's a general positive. I don't personally care, I don't live or work there.

 

[iluvatar5150]

A bit more than just a wall of the East Wing was demolished.
View attachment 371984

Yeah, I just read a few minutes ago that they got the collonade, too. Last I knew, which was yesterday, they were going to leave that alone.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

After all of this hand wringing, I certainly hope no future president ever uses this ballroom.

What would be the point of building it. If theirs no activity in it.

 

[probinson]

What would be the point of building it. If theirs no activity in it.

Why would a future president want to use the ballroom if they're so vehemently opposed to its construction?

 

[probinson]

I hope future candidates run on specifically tearing down this monstrosity, selling off the materials and donating the money to the Smithsonian.

First order of business.

Really? That's the most important thing to you?

Alrighty then.

 

[probinson]

I don't mind them replacing the East Wing, but I wish they would do it with something more appropriate for the office of a US president.

Like a bowling alley. Or a miniature golf course.

A bowling alley was installed in the White House in 1947, and then relocated and renovated a few times since then.

Now mini golf, there's an idea I can get behind!

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Really? That's the most important thing to you?

Maybe not the most important thing but the right have shown us all a president can basically do whatever he wants with the White House grounds so long as it’s paid for through private donations, like it’s their own home. They don’t even need Congressional approval.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

Why would a future president want to use the ballroom if they're so vehemently opposed to its construction?

Because, it might as well be used, since the Ballroom is being built. Why not do fundraising, for our country in there. Better yet , when Trump leaves. Sell most of the chairs and table s. And turn into a fun place. For fundraising for our country. School, social security, programs.

 

[probinson]

Maybe not the most important thing but the right have shown us all a president can basically do whatever he wants with the White House grounds so long as it’s paid for through private donations, like it’s their own home. They don’t even need Congressional approval.

Well, you did say "first order of business", so that sure makes it seem pretty darn important to you.

Regardless, as silly as (I think) it is to construct a ballroom, it would be even more incredibly wasteful to tear down a structure that was just a few years old just to pwn the right. But then, that's where politics seems to have devolved to.

 

[probinson]

Because, it might as well be used, since the Ballroom is being built.

Common sense would dictate as such. But then, there is already a suggestion in this thread for future Democratic candidates to "...run on specifically tearing down this monstrosity..." and to make it their first order of business to do so.

Why not do fundraising, for our country in there. Better yet , when Trump leaves. Sell most of the chairs and table s. And turn into a fun place. For fundraising for our country. School, social security, programs.

Huh? What do you envision this "fun place" to look like?

 

[probinson]

He really does want to be Vladimir Putin.

View attachment 371963

In related news, most ballrooms look remarkably similar.

This is a bit like saying, "Look! Vladimir Putin has a toilet in his bathroom! Trump has a toilet in his bathroom too!!!! He really does want to be Vladimir Putin!"