Trump rebuilds the White House in his image

Washington (United States). “ This will have no impact on the current building,” assured Donald Trump last July, when he announced his plan to build a ballroom on the site of the east wing of the White House. Three months later, the turnaround is radical: all that remains is a pile of rubble from the historic wing. Without prior announcement, its demolition was launched on October 20 and was completed in three days, without the approval of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) in charge of supervising the construction and renovation of government buildings. Deeming the old wing far too small, Donald Trump hastened to give substance to his long-standing desire, that of erecting in its place a gigantic room where large dinners and events in honor of foreign leaders will be held.

Faced with this sudden destruction, criticisms were raised, quickly swept aside by the Trump administration which described them as “ manufactured indignation »arguing that this decision was the most suitable from both a structural and financial point of view. The announced cost has only increased: originally estimated at $200 million then recently reassessed at $250 million, the project is now estimated at $300 million (€258 million). According to the president, it will be entirely financed by private donors and his own contribution.

A monumental project

For the construction of the future ballroom, one watchword: ostentation. The project, designed by McCrery Architects, provides for an immense white room in a neoclassical style, all splendor and opulence, combining coffered ceilings, columns, gilding and crystal chandeliers. With a surface area of more than 8,300 m², it will be able to accommodate 650 people – 999 according to Trump, who aims to take advantage of it before the end of his mandate in January 2029. The historic wing, which housed the offices of the first lady, will therefore give way to a disproportionate building, much larger than the White House residence (5,100 m²), which will completely redesign the profile of the residence presidential. A modification greatly criticized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is concerned that the new building “eclipses the White House itself » and regrets the destruction of a “ a national historic monument, a national park and a globally recognized symbol of the ideals of (the) nation”.

While the White House confirms that it has taken steps to preserve the historic objects in the East Wing, the building itself had a certain heritage value. The wing was built in 1902 during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, and then served as an entrance for horse-drawn carriages. It was in 1942, in the middle of World War II, that Franklin D. Roosevelt transformed and expanded it to hide an underground bunker – named the Presidential Emergency Operations Center – built for the president and his team. Gradually becoming the first lady’s neighborhood, seat of social events and symbol of “soft power”, the wing was visited each year by several million tourists. To justify its demolition, the Trump government presents the site as part of “ in the long tradition of improvements and additions made » by presidents over time. Construction of the modern rose garden under John F. Kennedy, transformation of the swimming pool into a press room by Nixon, restoration of the residence by Bill Clinton… Interventions incommensurate, however, with the destruction of an entire wing.