Trump promised ‘total respect to the existing building’ then demolished part of the White House
The White House on Tuesday dismissed anger over the demolition of parts of the building’s East Wing to build a new ballroom at the behest of President Donald Trump.
“In the latest instance of manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House,” the White House said in a statement.
The White House called the ballroom “a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions” by prior presidents.
Photos of construction workers tearing down parts of the building went viral online Monday, triggering public anger over the planned 90,000-square-foot, $250 million ballroom.
“You probably hear the beautiful sound of construction to the back,” Trump said during a Rose Garden event Tuesday. “That’s music to my ears. I love that sound. Other people don’t like it. I love it.”
In July, Trump said that construction of the ballroom “won’t interfere with the current building.”
“It’ll be near it but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” Trump said of the White House at the time.
The Treasury Department has told staff not to share photos of the East Wing, a spokesperson confirmed to CNBC on Tuesday. The department is located next to the White House, and has a clear view of the demolition work. [Continue reading…]