CNN reported on October 23 that the new ballroom is larger than originally designed, and the budget has risen from an initial planned $200 million to $300 million.

Multiple sources familiar with the matter said that Trump showed visitors at the White House two models and asked for their opinions on the spot, with most people saying the larger version was better, a plan that also received Trump's approval.

But this quickly sparked protests, raising questions about whether the president has the legal authority to demolish parts of his official residence. A source who was involved in internal discussions said not all members of Trump's team initially supported the plan. Some aides felt the project was too large and tried to explain how difficult and time-consuming the process would be. However, once they realized the president would not abandon this idea he had discussed for 15 years, everyone eventually accepted the plan.

As early as 2010, before Trump entered politics, he privately proposed to then-President Obama that he would help build a "nice" ballroom at the White House, but the Obama administration silently rejected the proposal.

The White House said they plan to submit the ballroom design to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) for review, but simultaneously emphasized that the agency has "no power" to stop the decision to demolish the East Wing.

The East Wing of the White House was built in 1902, with a second floor added in 1942, and it has long served as the office space for the First Lady, the White House Poet Laureate, and the military aide. Today, half of the building has been demolished, with wooden halls, paneling, and historical decorations reduced to ruins. White House officials said the remaining part of the East Wing may be demolished by the weekend.

"To do this job properly, we must demolish the existing structure," Trump said on the 22nd when asked about the project in the White House Oval Office. He was speaking while a model of the White House sat on the table in front of him, with the ballroom area protruding from the East Colonnade.

Trump said that after "extensive research with some of the best architects in the world," they concluded that the East Wing "does need to be demolished."

In response to criticism that he lacks transparency, Trump said, "Am I not transparent? I have shown this plan to everyone who is willing to listen."

On the 22nd, Trump displayed renderings of the ballroom at the White House. Screenshot from video

This August, the White House publicly announced the renovation plan. The planned ballroom was expected to cost $200 million, located in the East Wing of the White House, covering an area of 90,000 square feet (about 8,361 square meters), designed by McCrery Architecture, a firm based in Washington, D.C., with Clark Construction responsible for the construction. Work began in September, and it was expected to be completed "long before" Trump leaves office in January 2029.

CNN noted that despite this, the images of the demolition site this week still caused shock, especially given that Trump is testing the boundaries of presidential power in almost every aspect.

A source revealed that the project accelerated in the summer and weekly meetings were held to discuss progress. Trump himself was present, attending meetings with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, the White House Military Office, the Secret Service, the construction team, and others assigned to assist with the project.

The source said that Trump's aides anticipated resistance and reviewed the legal procedures required to complete the project. Ultimately, government officials determined that the White House only needed NCPC's approval. However, they also stated that the NCPC only has jurisdiction once vertical construction begins and does not regulate the demolition phase.

Recently, Trump appointed his loyalist Will Schaf as chairman of the NCPC. Schaf said last month at a meeting that the NCPC will eventually participate in the project, but only after the East Wing is demolished, "I know the president has high regard for this committee, and I'm glad we can participate in the ballroom project at the right time."

Preston Bryant, who served as chairman of the NCPC for nearly ten years, explained that federal projects typically go through three stages: early consultation, preliminary approval, and final approval. And if a project is to get off to a good start from the beginning, the early consultation stage is very important.

However, Bryant criticized the Trump administration for separating the demolition phase from the approval process, saying, "I've never seen a situation like this in my time. If there is demolition, it is part of the project; demolition and construction are integral and inseparable."

Rebecca Miller, executive director of the Washington Conservation League, said that demolishing the East Wing before submitting the ballroom plan is equivalent to starting the project before the review process.

"The most concerning thing is that they demolished the East Wing without any public submission," she said, "and it is during the submission phase that the NCPC, the Art Committee, or the public have the opportunity to provide feedback on the design, discuss its compatibility with the White House, and how to minimize the impact on the existing historic buildings."

Miller added, "Now we're in a vacuum where no law can stop the demolition, and we haven't seen any formal submissions of the plan either."

There are also many speculations about who will fund the construction of the ballroom. Trump said that he personally will cover most of the construction costs and hinted that some unnamed donors are willing to spend more than $20 million to complete the project.

According to the BBC, on October 15, the White House held a dinner for potential donors, attended by executives from several American multinational companies, including Blackstone Group, OpenAI, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Amazon, and Google, as well as social celebrities from various fields.

Although the donation plan is still pending confirmation, the BBC pointed out that this funding model has raised concerns among some legal experts, who believe it could amount to "buying access to the core of the government" through money.

"I think this huge ballroom is an ethical nightmare," said Richard Painter, who served as chief ethics lawyer at the White House under the Bush administration from 2005 to 2007. "This is using access to the White House to raise funds. I don't like this approach, and these companies all want something from the government."

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7564430759855997466/

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