New images available Thursday appear to show the entire White House East Wing has been demolished to make way for President Donald Trump’s $300 million ballroom.
President Trump initially said in July that the project would not interfere with the existing White House structure.
Then this week, as crews began to raze the East Wing, an official said the “entirety of the East Wing will be modernized” as the massive 90,000 square foot ballroom is built.
By Thursday, satellite images from Planet Labs PBC showed the East Wing reduced to rubble.
Why not inform the public of that change and when it was decided that the East Wing would have to be demolished?”
President Donald Trump’s $300 million ballroom appears to have been built by demolishing the entire White House East Wing, according to new photos released Thursday.
During Thursday’s briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was questioned by reporters and defended the demolition.
In July, President Trump first declared that the project would not disrupt the current White House architecture. The “entirety of the East Wing will be modernized” as the enormous 90,000 square foot ballroom is constructed, according to an official who spoke as workers started demolishing the East Wing this week.
By Thursday, Planet Labs PBC’s satellite imagery revealed the East Wing had been reduced to rubble.
“This is the House of People. Leavitt was asked by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce, “Why not tell the public about that change and the decision to demolish the East Wing?”.
“Changes occur with every construction project. We have also kept you all updated on this project and have informed you all. “We have presented the renderings to you,” Leavitt stated.
As Leavitt continued, “the plans changed when the president heard counsel from the architects and the construction companies who said that this phase one that we’re now in was necessary for this East Wing to be a truly strong and stable structure, for it to be modern and beautiful for many, many years to come.”.
A flurry of criticism and inquiries followed the startling photos of the construction, including who is paying for the project and whether the demolition could have been prevented.
As I mentioned earlier, the president and numerous kind patriots who have stepped up will cover the cost of the ballroom and the actual construction, Leavitt stated. She also stated that Trump should be expected to provide a monetary figure for the amount of his own funds he will use to construct the ballroom, something he has desired to do for many years.
Plans for the ballroom have yet to be submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission, a White House official stated. In response to a question on Thursday about whether the president can demolish anything at the White House, Leavitt stated that they do not require permission to do so if it is only for vertical construction.
Earlier this month, Trump claimed to have been informed by “two men” that he could make changes without permission during a dinner for the donors.
“How long would it take?” I asked, and they replied, ‘Sir, you can begin tonight. There are no zoning restrictions for you. During the dinner, Trump declared, “You have no approvals.”. “You must be kidding,” I said. “Sir, this is the White House,” he said. In the United States, you are the president. You are free to do anything you like. ‘”.
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