Camilla Jessen
President confirms First Lady wasn’t happy as White House renovations continue to spark backlash.
Donald Trump has confirmed that First Lady Melania Trump was not fully supportive of his decision to tear down the White House East Wing — the part of the building that once housed her office — to make room for a $300 million ballroom.
The move has been widely criticized, not just by Democrats, but reportedly by Melania herself.
“She loved her little, tiny office,” Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. “But she’s very smart. In about one day — if you were to ask her now, she’d say, ‘It’s great.’”
The East Wing has long been considered the symbolic and functional base of the First Lady’s work. When it was demolished as part of Trump’s new expansion plan, prominent critics, including Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, responded swiftly.
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Michelle Obama spoke about it on her podcast, saying that tearing it down was more than just a design decision.
“When we talk about the East Wing, it is the heart of the work… It’s a reflection of how you think of that role,” she said, according to Vanity Fair.
Melania reportedly raised concerns
According to The Wall Street Journal, Melania privately told her staff she was worried about the project but made it clear she had no control over it. “It isn’t mine,” she reportedly told associates.
Historians say that speaks volumes.
“The destruction of the East Wing just shows how little the White House cares about the position of first lady,” said Katherine AS Sibley, a historian at St. Joseph’s University.
“Had Obama proposed such a change, Michelle might have said, ‘Wait a minute. That is my office.’”
Trump defends ballroom project: ‘It looked like hell’
Trump has stood firmly behind the decision, calling the East Wing “ugly” and claiming the renovations were long overdue. “It was made out of common brick, little, tiny windows. It looked like hell,” he said.
He also explained that previous events were held in tents that flooded easily during bad weather.
“If it rained, you were sitting in six inches of water. It was a disaster,” Trump said, adding that the new ballroom will keep guests dry.
He also noted that the $300 million price tag would be covered by private donors
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
