(New York) We owe to Betty Ford, woman of 38e president, the statement that perhaps best summed up the essence of the East Wing of the White House. “If the West Wing is the brain of the nation, then the East Wing is the heart. »
This heart, which housed the offices of the first lady, reception areas and a cinema room, among other things, no longer beats. In recent days, construction equipment has reduced it to ruins, causing an outcry among historians, architects and a large part of the population, who are seeing a part of American history disappear without warning.
Donald Trump said Monday that the “modernization” of the East Wing of the White House was necessary because of a project that is dear to him, namely the construction of an 8,400 square meter ballroom, almost double the size of the current presidential residence, with a capacity of nearly 1,000 people.
PHOTO JIM WATSON, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Model of the future east wing, which will house a ballroom
However, last July, the president promised that this project would have “no impact” on the East Wing.
“It will be located nearby, but without touching it, and will fully respect the existing building, of which I am the greatest admirer. It’s my favorite place. I love it,” he told reporters while signing a presidential decree.
The shock of the demolition comes partly from this false assurance. Monday, the Washington Post caused a stir by publishing a first photo of the demolition of the east wing, taken from the neighboring building, which houses the Treasury Department. Employees of this agency were immediately advised not to distribute photos of the destruction of the building constructed in 1902 under President Theodore Roosevelt.
Wasted effort. THE Post published other photos illustrating that the “modernization” that Donald Trump spoke of was indeed a complete demolition.
A “necessary” first phase
“It’s the People’s House. Why not inform the public of this change and when it was decided that the East Wing needed to be demolished? “, a journalist asked White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt on Thursday during her daily press briefing.
PHOTO EVAN VUCCI, ASSOCIATED PRESS
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
“As in any construction project, there are changes,” replied the spokesperson. “And we have informed you all, we have kept you informed about this project. We have shown you the images. »
He added: “The plans changed when the President heard advice from architects and construction companies who said that for this East Wing to remain modern and beautiful for many years, to be a truly strong and stable structure, this first phase that we are in now was necessary. »
This explanation is not likely to satisfy all the historians, architects and elected officials who refuse to comply with the dictates of Donald Trump. They recalled that federal law requires the president to submit any project of this nature for approval by the National Capital Planning Commission, which oversees the construction and renovation of federal buildings in the capital.
The White House responded by emphasizing that the law does not concern demolition work.
However, even though the East Wing is no more, the president of a major heritage protection association urged the Trump administration on Wednesday to suspend demolition work and submit its plans for the ballroom project to the public review process required by law.
The association is particularly concerned about the size of the building, whose interior will resemble that of the ballroom of Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, according to visuals released by the White House.
PHOTO JACQUELYN MARTIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Workers supervise the demolition of the East Wing from the roof of the Treasury Department offices.
“We recognize the need for larger meeting space at the White House, but we are deeply concerned that the mass and height of the proposed new construction risks towering over the White House itself (which measures 5,100 m²) and permanently disrupting the carefully considered classical balance of the White House, with its two smaller and lower East and West wings,” Carol Quillen said Wednesday, CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
This ballroom will add to the efforts already made by Donald Trump to leave his indelible mark on one of the most famous buildings in the world, inaugurated on 1er November 1800 under John Adams.
At the beginning of August, the president unveiled the new patio which now covers the lawn of the White House Rose Garden.
Since his return to the presidency, he has also adorned the Oval Office with countless gilding.
“It’s not his house”
His defenders point out that he is not the first president to undertake major work which has sparked controversy. They notably give the example of Harry Truman, who oversaw a complete reconstruction of the interior of the White House.
But the 33e President first addressed Congress, which then created the Commission on the Renovation of the Presidential Residence in 1949 to remedy the building’s serious architectural deficiencies.
This lack of public consultation contributes to the indignation expressed by the president’s critics. According to a YouGov poll released Wednesday, 53% of Americans are opposed to the demolition of the East Wing compared to 24% who are in favor.
“It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he is destroying it,” Hillary Clinton lamented on X.
In a message on »
Karoline Leavitt, the presidential spokesperson, downplayed these criticisms by putting them down to jealousy. And she welcomed the fact that taxpayers will not pay a penny for the ballroom, whose cost, which increased from $250 to $300 million, must be covered by donors.
This prospect alarms governance specialists, who see other potential conflicts of interest looming on the horizon for a president who seems to collect them.
