Trump’s New Ballroom Plans Spread Concern Among Experts
The announcement of President Donald Trump’s plans to add a ballroom to the White House last week has raised concerns among experts such as historians, economists, and ethicists. With this new addition, historians around the country are fearful for the preservation of the original aesthetic of the building.
Among such historians, former Chief Historian of the White House Historical Association Edward Lengel has voiced his opinion on the topic in an interview with the National Public Radio(NPR). Lengel said that his main concern was that the new ballroom would transform the White House into a “presidential palace.” “And I think that that in some ways contradicts the original concept of the White House that the founders intended,” adds Lengel. Other such preservationists voice similar concerns. “It could do some harm to the property overall,” said former professor of American studies at George Washington University Richard Longstreth when interviewed by the New York Times.
Many also worry about the economic side of the plan. The ballroom has been estimated to cost around 200 million, which leads experts to question the funding of the project. White House officials have been quite vague about who would be paying for the renovations, saying that the president and “other patriot donors” would be responsible. The lack of details has caused outrage among many, including Washington University law professor and government ethics specialist Kathleen Clark, who has even suggested that the donors were trying to “get in good with Trump.”
Making additions to the White House isn’t uncommon, as most presidents have made at least some aesthetic changes. What’s new is the scale of the renovation; the only president who has even been close to making a change as impactful as the new ballroom was Harry Truman, and his reinforcing of the White House walls. This is still different, however, as President Truman’s reinforcement had been necessary to keep the building from collapsing. The process normally involves working with the National Park Service and Congress to make sure that these changes are essential. Trump seems to have pulled the strings a little for this project.
