'Desecrating a part of history': Firestorm ignited over new Trump plan
A robust wave of criticism has greeted the decision by President Donald Trump to demolish the entire East Wing of the White House in order to build a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom at a cost now estimated around $300 million. The ballroom project, one of the largest renovations to the People’s House in decades, has drawn sharp rebuke from preservationists, historians and ordinary citizens alike. In a report published Sunday, the New York Times featured the views of citizens from different walks of life. A former bank examiner, Clifford Eugene, said, “The buildings in the capital city tell us the story of where we came from.” He described watching “footage of the East Wing crumbling into a heap of debris and dust” with sadness and disappointment. The demolition, he added, was “just another example of an unchecked president who regularly tramples on norms.” A history major and Marine veteran, Charles Vaughters told supporters of the project: “The people against the demolition … are just trying to find something, anything, bad about Trump.” Leaning the other way, one Democrat, Thien Doan, said, “We’re desecrating a part of history that we should have been celebrating.” He added: “They’re molding buildings and the country after his own image. It shouldn’t be about him. It should be about the people.” Critics underscore that the East Wing has housed first-lady offices and public access areas, and that the replacement project lacks the kind of full public review typical of major changes to such historic buildings. Ethics experts have also warned of donations from major corporations tied to federal contracts, calling it a potential “pay-for-access” scheme.
