Christine Drews Sieger
Donald Trump praised the White House renovations on social media, highlighting finished updates to the Thomas Jefferson Columns.
On social media, Donald Trump tallied up the results of a major cleanupFt effort across Washington, D.C.
Highlights from his posts included fixing more than 2,000 streetlights, setting up nearly 1,500 benches, and removing graffiti at over 500 sites.
The president also shared photo updates showcasing the restored Thomas Jefferson Columns, writing that “The work turned out beautifully!”
Crews completed the column updates fast. Mediaite reports that these minor structural fixes form just one part of a much broader series of property upgrades.
High price tags
Recent construction extends far beyond routine maintenance. Early on, workers paved over the iconic Rose Garden lawn to prevent soggy ground from disrupting outdoor press briefings during bad weather.
The most dramatic alteration involves a massive new ballroom. To clear sufficient space for the sprawling facility, the entire East Wing was leveled.
Legal hurdles have significantly dragged out the timeline for the addition.
According to Mediaite, the price tag for the extensive campus overhaul is approaching $1 billion.
A battle beyond the renovations
As we previously reported, the White House makeover is also tied to a much larger legal battle over Trump’s plans for the property.
While routine improvements such as new benches, streetlights and restored columns have moved ahead, construction of the $400 million ballroom has been halted by the courts.
The Trump administration has taken the dispute to the Supreme Court, arguing that the project is essential to national security, while opponents maintain that Congress must approve such a transformation of the historic White House grounds.
The case could ultimately determine not only the future of the ballroom, but also how much power a president has to reshape one of the country’s most historic landmarks.
