White House ballroom renovation has sparked legal storm, political fireworks, personal slugfest between presidential children
U.S. President Donald Trump is again at the centre of a controversy — this time over the demolition of the White House’s East Wing to make way for a lavish ballroom. The $300 million project, which Trump says is privately funded, has drawn both legal and political backlash.
A Virginia couple has reportedly filed an emergency motion in a federal court seeking to halt construction, arguing that the plan violates federal preservation and planning laws.
Earlier this week, Trump announced that construction was already underway, calling it a long-overdue modernization of the historic residence.
“For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!
“The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly. This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!” he wrote on social media, drawing backlash from Democrats, who accused Trump of damaging the historic White House. The Trump administration says that renovations and modernisations are a normal part of White House upkeep.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the decision, noting that previous presidents also made renovations, and even recalled Barack Obama’s complaint about hosting state dinners in outdoor tents due to limited indoor space. Meanwhile, rumours that the new space would be named “The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom” are also being trashed by the administration.
Meanwhile, the controversy also took a personal turn when former President Bill Clinton’s Chelsea Clinton condemned the project, calling it “an attack on heritage, democracy, and the rule of law.” “The erasure of the East Wing isn’t just about marble or plaster — it’s about President Trump again taking a wrecking ball to our heritage, while targeting our democracy, and the rule-of-law,” she wrote on social media. In response, Donald Trump Jr. reignited old political controversy and invoked her father’s infidelity scandal involving former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. “Lol, your parents tried stealing furniture and silverware from the White House,” Trump Jr. alleged, also writing, “And let’s not talk about the intern. Sit this one out.”
