Donald Trump is sharing his thoughts on his latest White House renovation, which has caused controversy as the transformation continues. The president has confirmed that he tore down the East Wing, the historic section of the presidential residence that once housed the first lady’s office, to make way for an opulent $300 million ballroom.
“I could’ve built the ballroom around it,” Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham during an interview on The Ingraham Angle this week. “I didn’t want to sacrifice a great ballroom for an okay ballroom by leaving it right smack in the middle.”
The president’s remarks come after weeks of criticism, not only from preservationists and political opponents but also from an unusually vocal group, former first ladies.
During a book event in Brooklyn, Michelle Obama lamented the decision to demolish the space that had long symbolized the role of the first lady. “To denigrate it, to tear it down, to pretend like it doesn’t matter — it’s a reflection of how you think of that role,” Mrs. Obama said.
Trump brushed off the critique. “First of all, the East Wing was a beautiful little, tiny structure that was built many years ago, that was renovated and expanded. It had nothing to do with the original building,” he said. “It was a poor, sad sight.”
The East Wing, added in 1942, traditionally housed the offices of the first lady and her staff, as well as the visitors’ entrance and the presidential theater. By late October, the entire complex was gone, demolished within days to make way for what the White House now calls a “modernized event space.”
According to The New York Times, Trump initially vowed not to touch the “existing building,” but officials later decided demolition would be “more cost-effective and structurally sound” than building an addition.
Ingraham asked him about a Wall Street Journal report that Melania Trump had privately raised concerns about losing her East Wing office. Trump didn’t deny the story but insisted the first lady quickly came around.
“She loved her little, tiny office, but you know what, she’s very smart,” he said. “If you would ask her now, she says it’s great.” Melania’s second-floor office overlooked the South Lawn and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. It sat near the White House’s calligraphy and military offices, a hub of first lady operations for decades.
The new construction has forced her to temporarily relocate to the ground floor, which includes the Vermeil Room, the China Room, and the White House Library. That area is currently closed to the public, though tours are expected to resume on December 2.
Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, along with Chelsea Clinton, have criticized the project. Despite the backlash, Trump insists “people are loving” the plan. The new ballroom, funded by private contributions, will span roughly 90,000 square feet and seat around 650 guests.
A White House press release described the venue as “substantially separated from the main building” but designed with “architectural heritage almost identical” to the original structure.