Ballroom blitz: Trump demolishes White House’s East Wing

The optics are not great. US President Donald Trump tears down the White House’s East Wing, location to the archetypal lady’s office, to physique a expansive ballroom portion a authorities shutdown prevents nationalist servants from being paid. So, is the ballroom a much-needed addition, oregon is Trump defacing a humanities building?

The task astatine 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the astir celebrated code successful the United States, bothers immoderate Americans due to the fact that Trump promised helium would sphere the East Wing. As it turns out, that’s not however it went.

But first, it is not similar the White House has ne'er been renovated. Built betwixt 1792 and 1800, it was burned down by the British successful 1814. Its restoration was completed successful 1817. In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt added the West Wing and the East Terrace, precursor to the East Wing, which was built nether Franklin D Roosevelt successful 1942.

The White House itself was a structural disaster, successful information of existent collapse, truthful President Harry S Truman had the full interior gutted and rebuilt betwixt 1948 and 1952.

Over the years, the East Wing has served galore roles, but it came into beingness to screen the president’s underground bunker, utilized by Vice President Dick Cheney during the September 11 attacks of 2001.

Since the 1970s, the East Wing has hosted the bureau of the archetypal lady, among them Betty Ford, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden.

If you are not a Trump fan, you mightiness spot his determination to demolish the East Wing arsenic brash, since helium acted without support from the National Capital Planning Commission. If you are a fan, you mightiness accidental hosting ample events nether a tent, arsenic has been done, is not worthy of a large nation.

Regardless, astatine astir doubly the size of the White House, the $300m ballroom is expected to dwarf the president’s residence, overmuch similar "an craft bearer beside a yacht", arsenic 1 professional enactment it. Completion is slated for 2029, earlier Trump leaves office.

This task was ever going to beryllium governmental fodder for the Democrats, who said Trump's absorption was connected his ballroom alternatively than the ongoing authorities shutdown. The East Wing is present gone, the ballroom is going up, but judging by immoderate antagonistic sentiment polls, immoderate Americans are successful nary temper to party.