Artist rendering of Trump's East Wing ballroom adjacent to White House residence
Fresh off of demolishing the East Wing of the White House, President Donald Trump is now considering tampering with the West Wing and building a one-story addition, reports The Daily Beast,
“Despite previously declaring that the project would ‘not interfere’ with the existing White House building, the president’s lead architect revealed on Thursday that another level could soon be built above the West Wing Colonnade — the iconic columned walkway connecting the Oval Office to the Executive Residence at the White House,” the Beast reports.
Trump’s chief architect Shalom Baranes announced the plans while presenting updates to the National Capital Planning Commission on Thursday, arguing that adding another story to the West Wing would “reinstate the symmetry around the central pavilion of the White House,” and balance out new renovations to the now-destroyed East Wing.
Baranes added that Trump also plans to make his $400 million ballroom as tall as the White House’s main mansion itself, shattering long-standing tradition that additions not dwarf the main building serving as a seat of the executive branch.
The Daily Beast reports the White House is making its case to the planning body reviewing the proposed ballroom, which Trump has “stacked with the president’s aides and allies.”The National Trust Preservation Committee, meanwhile, is seeking to halt further construction until a “legally mandated review process” could take place, while the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization has filed a lawsuit, accusing the administration of refusing to release information on whether it removed or released asbestos when it demolished the East Wing.
Despite public outcry, the Trump insists he has the authority to duck decades of procedure and carry out his destruction and renovations, which he claims will be funded by U.S. billionaires, many of them seeking presidential favors.
Reprinted with permission from Alternet
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