It is difficult to miss the symbolism. We’re tearing down the East Wing of the White House, my house, your house. On July 31, Donald Trump talked about his pet White House Ballroom project, and its impact on the current structure, noting, “It’ll be near it but not touching it; and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of… I love it.”
Whoops!! Apparently, that was an untruth. Who could have predicted that?
The President has started demolition on a house where his lease runs out in just over three years.
Trump plans to build a $200 million ballroom (oh, that was modified to $250 million a month or so ago) that he says Americans have wanted for 150 years – only he could get it done. Wait a sec. This week the estimate is $300 million (any bets as to where this ends up? $500 million, anybody? Anybody? Bueller?).
But America wants this, Trump says without asking. And they don’t seem to mind tearing down the entire East Wing to add a 90,000 square foot dance hall. You can almost envision a scenario where big, strong construction workers, tough guys, big shoulders, big hands, come up to Trump with tears in their eyes, and say “Sir, thank you for building this ballroom; we can’t wait to bring the missus when you have your first ball. We hope you have lots of balls.”
I can’t speak for 340 million other Americans, but I’m guessing a few aren’t happy with the President demo-ing their house. We are the landlords. Shouldn’t we get a say?
Who authorized this? Does the guy who lives rent-free, on a four-year lease, get to tear down and rebuild “the people’s house” on a whim?
Members of Congress cannot put a nail into their office wall without prior approval. Good luck on getting the security deposit back.
Trump claims that this will all be paid by donations. Do we get to see the receipts on this? Mrs. Mac has already told me she wants to see those receipts. I’m asking.
We paved the Rose Garden, we junked up the oval office with so many gold adornments that it looks like Jeffry Epstein’s boudoir (OK, I don’t know what that looks like but the Oval is garish), and now we’re tearing down the East Wing.
Even if donations are paying for this remodel, is this a really suitable time for this project?
The government is shutdown. Federal workers are overflowing free food pantry lines, Inflation continues. The President is seeking $20-$40 billion to prop up Argentina (MArgentina-GA) for some reason. Health insurance rates are set to double and triple for millions of Americans in the next three months.
And, this week Donald Trump has expressed his intent to take $230 million dollars from U.S. taxpayers (our money) for past investigations into his actions by the Justice Department, while joking about how he gets to decide if, and how much money, he can take out of our pockets. He says he’ll give it to charity (questionable), but it’s OUR MONEY!! Shouldn’t we get a say?
Is this the right optic for our country today? Is it a good look to be knocking down huge sections of the White House? How are we looking to our enemies? To our allies? To our citizens? The symbolism is alarming.
And, like the construction worker scenario above, I might take the liberty of imagining the President proudly remarking to the press, “foreign leaders visit the White House, and they come to me with tears in their eyes, and they say, ‘Sir, we want to dance; where’s the ballroom.’ We don’t have one — it’s embarrassing. Other presidents didn’t know how to build one, but I do. I’m the only one that could.”
If this is the “people’s house” shouldn’t someone ask the people before we start knocking it down? Wherever those funds come from, couldn’t we better allocate them to veterans’ healthcare, childcare, school nutrition programs or even paying a few furloughed workers?
Our president believes that grandeur equals greatness, that our nation’s strength and reputation are measured in square footage and tacky gold accents on the wall.
More political irony — the man who vowed to “preserve American heritage” has taken a wrecking ball to one of its most historic sites. And, true to recent history, Congress shrugs. Yes, other presidents added a single bowling alley, a putting green, a rose garden, and other things, but they didn’t tear down part of the White House.
What happens when the next president moves in? Does she get to tear down the ballroom and build a movie complex? Or plant a rose garden?
The current lease is up in January/2029 and it will be interesting to see what we, the people, get back as landlords.
Tear it down? That phrase seems so applicable to so much today.
Curt MacRae, a resident of Coldwater, MI, publishes regular opinion columns.
To be notified by email when a column is published, or to offer feedback email rantsbymac@gmail.com
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