As an environmental activist in California, I joined in several campaigns to save imperiled places, including: “Save Lake Tahoe” and “Save the Bay.” In 1972, I took a leave of absence from my job in the state Legislature to serve as press secretary for the “Save Our Coast” campaign.
Today, I’m waiting for somebody to launch another important “save it” campaign, one that should appeal to every American: “Save Our White House.” Save it from the sledgehammer of President Trump, who thinks he’s still an all-powerful real estate developer and not the temporary occupant of the “People’s House.”
September 2024 welcomed an exciting addition to Washington’s list of “must-see” places. Sponsored by the White House Historical Association, and located less than a block from the executive mansion, the new exhibit space enables visitors to walk through an exact replica of the White House, from the East Room, to the State Dining Room, to the Rose Garden, to the Oval Office. And, significantly, the new visitor center is called “The People’s House: A White House Experience.”
“The People’s House.” That’s what the White House is. It’s our house. It belongs to every one of us. Somebody should tell Trump that. He treats the White House like it belongs to him, another one of his golf courses where he can make any changes or tear down and rebuild any part of it he wants.
In theory, it’s up to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House to approve any changes to the White House. Led by the director of the National Park Service, the committee consists of 13 members representing the White House, the Smithsonian, the Commission of Fine Art, the National Gallery of Art and a handful of public representatives, all appointed by the president. But, as reported by the New York Times, Trump has not nominated a park service director nor appointed anyone to serve on the committee. And now we know why: Because he doesn’t want anybody interfering with his plans to redo the historic White House.
Acting on his own, with approval of no historic preservation committee, Trump has already barged ahead with what he loosely calls White House “improvements.” He installed two 100-ft flag poles, one on the south lawn, one on the north lawn; he changed the Rose Garden from a garden to a paved patio; he’s putting in a new bathroom in the Lincoln Bedroom; and he’s decked the walls and mantel of the Oval Office in gold, even importing gold fixtures from Mar-a-Lago to make him feel more at home.
But now Trump has embarked on his biggest project of all: tearing down the East Wing of the White House, built by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1942, to house offices of the first lady, and replacing it with a gigantic new ballroom. It’s something he has wanted to do for at least 15 years. In 2010, he offered to add a ballroom to the White House for President Obama, and, later, for Joe Biden. Both turned him down. But now he is determined to do it on his own. Plans are already drawn. A contractor has been hired. Demolition is scheduled to start this fall.
This is Trump’s most outrageous project by far. It will do more than modify or “improve” the existing White House. It will destroy its existing, historic footprint. And it will shatter the shape and image of one of America’s most beloved and iconic buildings.
Consider its size. As announced by the White House, the new ballroom alone will cover 90,000 sq. ft. — almost dwarfing the total, existing, 55,000 sq. ft. White House — and allow seating of 650 people. It’s a mammoth-sized ballroom to match Trump’s mammoth-sized ego.
Trump tries to justify his ballroom by insisting it will be built by private donors. Who cares? If a handful of fat cats or big corporations want to suck up to Trump by funding his pet project, that doesn’t justify the desecration of the White House.
What’s next? Is he going to tear down the West Wing and replace it with a Trump Tower? Is he going to repaint the White House red and blue?
One can only hope that Congress would step in and shut down Trump’s ballroom project. He owns lots of other buildings he can play around with. Trump should leave the White House alone. It’s our house, not his house. And we like it just the way it is.
Bill Press is host of “The Bill Press Pod.” He is the author of “From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire.”
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Comments