President Trump’s East Wing project is so destructive of the norms that The Washington Post has defended it. The reason is simple: everyone admitted it needed to be done, and it’s an embarrassment that the White House never had a room large enough for proper state dinners and other events. The stories are infamous: guests are relegated to porta-johns and eating under tents. And yet, liberal America treated this as some desecration of the residence (via WaPo):
The teardown of the White House’s East Wing this week is a Rorschach test. Many see the rubble as a metaphor for President Donald Trump’s reckless disregard of norms and the rule of law, a reflection of his willingness to bulldoze history and a temple to a second Gilded Age, paid for by corporate donors. Others see what they love about Trump: A lifelong builder boldly pursuing a grand vision, a change agent unafraid to decisively take on the status quo and a developer slashing through red tape that would stymie any normal politician.
In classic Trump fashion, the president is pursuing a reasonable idea in the most jarring manner possible. Privately, many alumni of the Biden and Obama White Houses acknowledge the long-overdue need for an event space like what Trump is creating. It is absurd that tents need to be erected on the South Lawn for state dinners, and VIPs are forced to use porta-potties.
The State Dining Room seats 140. The East Room seats about 200. Trump says the ballroom at the center of his 90,000-square-foot addition will accommodate 999 guests. The next Democratic president will be happy to have this.
Preservationists express horror that Trump did not submit his plans to their scrutiny, but the truth is that this project would not have gotten done, certainly not during his term, if the president had gone through the traditional review process. The blueprints would have faced death by a thousand papercuts.
[…]
The White House cannot simply be a museum to the past. Like America, it must evolve with the times to maintain its greatness. Strong leaders reject calcification. In that way, Trump’s undertaking is a shot across the bow at NIMBYs everywhere.
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Okay, so it’s settled, guys. This construction project is necessary and proper. Debate over.
Oh my!
— Sean Nienow (@SNienow) October 26, 2025
The @washingtonpost Editorial Board, on Trump's Ballroom:
"a reasonable idea"
"The next Democratic president will be happy to have this." pic.twitter.com/L7MOBjlLqI
WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL BOARD: In defense of the White House ballroom https://t.co/lwavXa8eiD
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 26, 2025
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