White House renovations span 223 years of presidential history, from Theodore Roosevelt’s West Wing to Trump’s new $200 million ballroom project currently under construction.
President Donald Trump isn’t the first commander-in-chief to face scrutiny over White House renovations.
Throughout its 223-year history, the iconic residence has seen numerous updates — both large and small — under nearly every administration.
Many on the left have been in an uproar of late, accusing Trump of damaging White House history as construction begins on a new White House ballroom.
President Trump’s privately funded $200 million White House ballroom is the latest «bold, necessary addition» to the executive residence, officials said, describing the East Wing construction as a continuation of presidential upgrades dating back more than a century.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned what leverage contributors might have over Trump if they are donating to the renovation.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also criticized the move, writing Tuesday on X, «It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.»
Construction on the ballroom kicked off Monday, with the project «expected to be completed long before the end of President Trump’s term», according to the White House.
«Nearly every single president who’s lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own», said Karoline Leavitt, press secretary, at the podium recently.
«In fact, presidents for decades — in modern times — have joked about how they wished they had a larger event space here at the White House, something that could hold hundreds more people than the current East Room and State Dining Room», she added.
President Trump recently directed the addition of stone pavers to the Rose Garden lawn, a change designed to better accommodate press conferences and ceremonial events.
Dubbed the Rose Garden Club, the event space recently hosted Senate Republicans on Tuesday.
