The First WH Ballroom Architect Raised Concerns About Codes, and Trump Responded Epically

I don’t care about the rest of The Washington Post’s piece on the ongoing White House ballroom project. President Trump wants to create a proper venue for state dinners and similar events, and Democrats have treated it as if he’s going to put a casino on the White House grounds. It’s absurd. No taxpayer money is being allocated for the project, and finally, things can move again, thanks to a Supreme Court decision. 

The first architect resigned amid a fallout over emergency exits, saying they were not up to code, prompting the president to say this (via WaPo) [emphasis mine]:

In the weeks leading up to his resignation last year, the first architect on the White House ballroom clashed with President Donald Trump over design features that the architect believed violated building safety codes, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions and corroborating documents reviewed by The Washington Post.

James McCrery II withdrew from the project last October after warning repeatedly that Trump was insisting on a preliminary design that did not provide adequate emergency exit routes or fire-containment measures, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private discussions.

Trump brushed off McCrery’s concerns, they said, and the president countered that no building codes apply to White House construction.

“I am the code,” Trump said.

That episode, as described by the people familiar with the matter, offers new insight into Trump’s priorities for the ballroom at a time when he is flexing executive power to fast-track construction projects across the nation’s capital. The interviews and documents obtained by The Post — including early ballroom designs and images Trump appeared to have marked up with his trademark black-ink Sharpie — also show how deeply involved the president has been in the details of the project.

Awesome line. One that will be slapped on a ton of merchandise, and rightfully so. In the past, we’ve had White House events with VIPs and foreign dignitaries, where tents had to be set up, along with porta-johns for guests since there’s not enough room inside the White House. 

How is that appropriate? 

Build the damn ballroom. 

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