Democrats and liberals are losing their minds over Trump’s White House renovations

Of all the things that really piss off President Donald Trump, would Democrats agree to renovate the White House?

Yes, the president’s decision to add a ballroom to the White House was met with great anger from liberals and Democrats, after construction had already begun. A photo of the White House being remodeled, which necessitated the partial demolition of the East Wing facade, went viral on X yesterday, causing several meltdowns.

“This is the Trump presidency in one form: illegal, destructive, and not helping you,” Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X.

“This is sacrilegious and an abomination,” wrote Ron Filipkowski, a well-known liberal social media figure. “First, he posts an AI video of himself wearing a crown throwing a hat on Americans’ heads, and then he starts demolishing part of the White House for his own Mar-a-Lago-style ballroom.”

Hillary Clinton got into the game too, writing: “It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.”

Clinton’s outburst is particularly ironic because, as journalist Salina Zito has pointed out, every president makes changes to the décor and even the structure of the White House — and the Clintons were no different.

Yes, it’s true that the ballroom addition is more important than anything Bill Clinton did, and it’s true that it required a bit of demolition, but the part of the White House that’s being torn down is the East Wing facade, which wasn’t even part of the original structure, and it’s being removed so the White House can have a ballroom, a perfectly legitimate (and some have deemed necessary) improvement. It is clear that the President would like to host larger events and currently has no means of doing so. If the future president doesn’t like the ballroom style, he can change it. It happens.

Actually, let’s take a little history lesson. Teddy Roosevelt expanded and renovated the White House in 1902. Franklin Roosevelt added a second floor and a basement during his presidency in the 1930s. Then, from 1949 to 1952, Harry Truman comprehensively remodeled the White House, dismantling and rebuilding its interior. The building had lost much of its architectural flavor at this point, so when John F. Kennedy assumed the presidency, First Lady Jackie Kennedy engaged in an extensive restoration that brought it into the style of early presidents.

Subsequent presidents renovated the First Family’s living quarters. Richard Nixon even added a bowling alley.

In this spirit, Trump adds to the greatness of the White House. It doesn’t destroy it. It is making way for larger formal dinners, which currently have to significantly limit guests or serve people under tents.

Best of all, private donations are paying for the renovation – not taxpayers! Seems like a good deal to me. Say what you will about Trump, but one thing voters seem to like about him is that he values ​​a good deal when it comes to real estate.

Robbie Soave co-hosts the commentary show “Rising” on The Hill and is a senior editor at Reason Magazine. This column is an edited version of his daily commentary.