White House ballroom … another meaningless controversy.
(Disclaimer: Having worked in the White House, I have a biased, but experienced, opinion. I have roamed everywhere in the White House complex except the President’s private living quarters. That is my excuse for jumping down this rabbit hole.)
My first reaction is that the entire project was not necessary – and certainly not urgent. But on the other hand, I am not offended by it. Nor should you be.
It seems that the Trump-hating left is making this mole hill another political Mount Everest just because it is Trump. They are using the most hyperbolic terms to describe the project. They say Trump is “destroying the White House” … “tearing it apart” … “demolishing history”. They say it is the “people’s house” and Trump had no right to change it. All a bunch of politically biased sanctimonious claptrap.
Trump is neither the first nor the only President to make renovations – small and substantial. The original “presidential mansion” had no West Wing or East Wing. It had no Oval Office. It had no hidden bunkers. It was a 55,000 square foot rectangular mansion in the neoclassical style, with strong influences of Palladian Greek/Roman architecture. It was originally intended to be white.
George Washington ordered the construction of the presidential mansion and approved its design in 1792 — but never had the pleasure of residing in it. That honor went to America’s second President John Adams in 1800.
Over the decades, many changes were made by a series of presidents. It would be informative to the current kerfuffle to review them. So, let us dive further down the rabbit hole.
The Evolution of the White House
The presidential mansion got the iconic white paint in 1798 as an afterthought near the end of construction to protect the limestone. Later improvements included:
- President James Monroe restored the mansion in 1817 after it was set afire by the British in the War of 1812.
- President Theodore Roosevelt added the West Wing in 1902.
- Also in 1902, Roosevelt added a tennis court behind the West Wing.
- President William Howard Taft added the now famous Oval Office in 1909.
- In 1911, Taft moved the tennis court to behind the East Wing.
- Woodrow Wilson added the Rose Garden in 1913. It was redesigned in 1962 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and repurposed by President Trump in 2025.
- President Franklin Roosevelt added the East Wing and a bomb shelter in 1942.
- FDR also had an elevator installed and made other accessibility alterations duo to his physical disability.
- In the early 1930s, FDR began to substantially expand the size of the White House staff. He took over the old State, War and Navy building to the east of the White House as the Executive Office Building – requiring extensive renovation. It was renamed as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building by Clinton in 1999.
- FDR also installed the first bulletproof windows – which have been upgraded periodically.
- President Harry Truman oversaw the complete gutting and rebuilding of the interior of the historic mansion from 1948 to 1952 (pictured right). It was said to have structural problems, but the real reason is believed to be to construct a complex security bunker under the mansion. (When critics keep talking about the “historic” nature of the physical White House, I am not impressed since the entire interior of the mansion is not as old as me. The current Oval Office is not the one occupied by FDR – and President Lincoln never spent a night in the Lincoln bedroom.)
- In 1947, Truman added what is now known as the “Truman Balcony” to the South Portico.
- Also in 1947, Truman installed a bowling alley in the mansion.
- In 1951, Truman added the so-called “White House Mess” under the West Wing — a 50-seat dining room for senior White House officials and special guests.
- President Dwight Eisenhower added a putting green in 1954 on the south lawn near the West Wing. It was eliminated by his successor, President Nixon, only to be reinstalled in 1991 by President George H. W. Bush. In 1995, President Bill Clinton moved it directly outside the Oval Office.
- President Richard Nixon relocated the Truman bowling alley to the Executive Office Building on the east side of the White House campus in 1973.
- In 2009, President Barack Obama had a basketball court installed.
- President George Bush added the car canopy over the north entrance in the early 2000s.
- In 2020, Melania Trump called for the addition of a pavilion to the tennis court.
Over the years security features have been installed and upgraded, which I cannot detail in this commentary – but you would be surprised how fortified the White House is these days.
Traditionally, every President and First Lady oversaw the interior redecoration of the mansion – giving the rooms and hallways of the historic building a dramatically different look in different eras. The only thing original to the mansion that Adams first occupied are the four exterior walls.
The Trump Ballroom
The required demolition for the new ballroom only involves the East Wing, not the mansion itself. The mansion is 225 years old, but the East Wing is only 81 years old.
Unlike many of the previous projects, the new ballroom’s $300 million cost is being paid for by private donors and Trump, himself. (This is consistent with Trump’s general generosity — donating his presidential salary to charity, for example. For the record, he has also indicated that any money he may get from his lawsuit against the Department of Justice will be donated to charity. But I digress.)
The evergreen Trump haters are criticizing the private financing – arguing that contributors are buying special treatment. Of course, if it was being taxpayer financed, they would accuse Trump of wasting public funds. It is one of those cannot win situations for Trump.
Since the project is not scheduled for completion until the end of Trump’s term – or even after – Trump will not have the full benefit of the ballroom. If not for his own benefit, Trump’s motivation may be rooted in his lifetime career as a real estate developer. We should remember that the lavish Grand Ballroom at his Mar a Lago residence was also a Trump project.
So, what about the merits of the new Trump White House Ballroom?
This is where things get dicey. It may have a number of benefits in terms of hosting special events. I assume that all future presidents will be using the new ballroom for state dinners, receptions and ceremonies. It will allow for larger audiences than the State Dining Room or the East Room of the mansion.
On the other hand, there was no crisis … no urgency. It seems that the cause of the controversy – apart from Trump Derangement Syndrome – is timing. We are in the early months of Trump’s new term. He is already under constant attack for virtually every executive decision he makes. The nation is divided politically – which means relatively small matters (and the ballroom is a relatively small matter) become existential political matters.
Demolition equipment tearing down even of a small portion of the Whtie House complex while the national government is shutdown is not good optics. Democrats are using it as a metaphor for their hyperbolic accusations that Trump is “tearing down” the American democracy and “demolishing” the Constitution.
I do not see the construction of a new White House ballroom as a front-burner issue. Maybe not even a back-burner issue. When compared to the Israeli War, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, border security, deportation of illegals, the economy, crime, AI, healthcare, gender issues, etc., etc., etc., I cannot get worked up over the construction of a ballroom connected to the original White House. It is very minor stuff.
Personally, if I were President, I would not have undertaken the project at this time – maybe not at all. As nice as it may be, I fail to feel the necessity. Conversely, I do not believe moving ahead with the project should be cause for alarm … controversy … and the political contention we see reported in the news and in social media these days. It is what presidents do.
(I shall return for the dark depths of the rabbit hole for the next commentary).
So, there ‘tis.
A great legacy for Trump. This man builds while democrats do nothing
Larry, As per usual, you totally missed the point here as to why people are upset with this boondoggle. The main issue is that your president lied to the public and said that the east wing would not be touched during this construction project. Obviously not the case, and has made it worse by threatening the contractors doing the work and others nearby not to provide pictures of the demolition in progress. No permits issued for this construction (destruction), congress either in the dark (in the case of democrats) or too afraid to speak up (in the case of republicans). Now, supposedly this $300 million project is being funded by ‘donations’. Are you so naive to expect us to believe that these donors are not expecting a bit of return on their investment? That’s referred to as ‘Paola’ in basic terms. Another thoughtless tome written by an ignorant contributor to the windbag post, who thinks a gold plated ballroom in place of the east wing of the White House is just dandy….
Mike. Shutupaboutit. Your crowd pays out money for illegal wet backs. And I wonder how much money was spent overseas for women in those countries to murder their babies. And of course Barack the commie mulatto gave away billions to the rag heads so they wouldn’t attack us. Got find Frank Dunger and get a room
Having long been an aficionado of Washington DC particularly the architecture of all the federal buildings. The White House is one of those buildings.
Its history has always been connected to the progression of presidents who occupied the property.
Each won the privilege by way of having captured the presidency in a democratically held legal election.
Except for President Washington who commissioned its construction, it’s true the following presidents enjoyed its celebrity and many were humbled by the honor that living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave bestows.
Then history has a double take when Trump 1.0 commenced and Trump 2.0 continued in the Trump Tradition revealing his single most important interest. It’s building stuff and decorating with gold gilded objects and gold colored appointments. Where he travels as president at some point he steers the conversation to his building projects past and planned.
Point being, previous presidents’ renovations, reconstruction, demolition, and addition involving any changes done to the property were long planned for, organized with all government agencies with maintenance responsibilities on board, and opportunity for private party donations opened to the general population.
Whether a huge addition to the White House that dwarfs the house itself is needed, justified, or appreciated is unimportant. Important at this time is a belief by Trump that he has the freedom as POTUS to go ahead with implementing major changes to the property’s foot print and with it demolition of any part of it.
There is nothing politically motivated in my complaint about Trump’s bulldozing ahead with his personal plan ignoring the fact that, no matter who he thinks he is, he does not hold title to the property. He has no more right to plan and carry out this project than either you or me. Elon Musk could fund the project single handedly. He, too, would have no right doing what Trump is doing.
Trump’s defense (excuse) is that the cost will not come from taxpayers funds. That does not cover over the multitude in rules, regulations, laws, and Constitutional limits that Trump is trampling over.
Oh, Trump is just being Trump. In truth, that does not fly. He has had way too many of ideas be allowed to appear like they fly.
Common sense, facts in evidence, and plain old fashioned justice do not appear very important to the right. The left seems hard pressed to slow Trump’s juggernaut much less stop him or turn events around.
Sooner or later Trump will shoot himself in the foot, figuratively speaking. Up until then others in his circle are deciding and telling Trump what’s next.