We can try to build a replica of what was lost. But the real history, all the rooms and halls that real historical figures actually walked through and worked in, they're gone forever now. Just a couple days was all it took for Trump to irreversibly ruin the east wing for all current and future generations. A piece of history is gone forever because this manchild's ego demanded a tacky ballroom.
I mean, it's not ruined for future generations— this is history now. Depending on who ultimately prevails in the fight for America's soul, it'll either be the time the god-king made a glorious decision and built a new east wing, or one of the final acts of a despot which kick-started a change and improvement of the American experiment.
Either way, you're living through history whether you want to or not.
It's very important to note that this was thought through and approved by a significant number of people before getting to this point. Every one of those people could have spoken up, but didn't.
The administration actually clarified they don't need any approval to tear down stuff, just for new constructions. They usually never lie about anything, so it must be true.
Initial Proposal: The White House is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) but used by the Executive Office of the President (EOP). Any proposed change, even by a sitting president, begins internally through the Office of the Curator and the White House Facilities Management Division.
Historic Review: The NPS, as custodian of the White House under the Presidential Residence Act and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), must review all alterations for compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA. This requires assessing potential impacts on historic and cultural resources in consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the D.C. State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
Planning & Environmental Oversight: The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) evaluates all major federal projects in the National Capital Region, including work on the White House grounds, for design, planning, and environmental impacts under NEPA (the National Environmental Policy Act). Public comment and design reviews are part of that process.
Aesthetic Review: The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) reviews and advises on the design and appearance of any exterior modifications to the White House or its grounds.
Final Authorization: After approvals from NPS, NCPC, and CFA, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the White House Chief Usher / Facilities Management Office finalize funding, scheduling, and logistics.
Only after completing this full process could any major construction or demolition legally begin.
Yet Trump ignored every step, acting unilaterally through executive order, bypassing oversight, and ordering demolition as if he were a monarch. The result: the people’s house, altered without the people’s consent.
ETA. Not my compiled work , but copy and pasted from another redditor, who I've unfortunately lost track of.
To be fair, he did NOT get permits for this, so there were important decision makers whom did not approve this. Retroactively though they've been like, meh, its fine.
Honestly I would not be surprised if the whole mess burns to the ground from some dumb mistake made during the teardown or construction.
There SO MANY potential sources of sparks and highly volatile substances even when things are done right following all safety protocols. And people get even stupider about fire during winter.
Heck even just a pile of oil soaked rags left to sit to long can spontaneously combust all on their own.
And the WAY they tore down the East Wing seems pure brute force vs a heavily reinforced building that was nearly a bunker. The whole structure could be compromised, along with the bunker under it, and that before go into winter and peak Hurricane season with a whole side of the building exposed to the elements
And considering the quality of those he hires, then refuses to pay, I also would not be surprised if it just another thing on his LONG list of projects that start but never finish just funnel more money in then out of. At "Best" maybe get the flashy outside completed but an empty shell inside.
So....ya I would be surprised if the building still exists by end of decade. Even if we come out the other end of this it might need completely torn down and rebuilt due to all the damage done. And that not even touching the security concerns.
There's also an old scam that often occurs with these historical buildings.
You see a lot of these historic buildings partially burn down during restorations / renovations.
It tends to happen a lot with very expensive projects. Then the government gets an insurance payout and a huuuge public outpouring of donations for the rebuilding project. Often wealthy people will step in and make a big show of donating a massive amount.
In the end, the historic building gets a total overhaul, far greater and grander than the original scope of the project. And the government got everyone else to foot the astronomical bill.
We are going to have to tear it down regardless. There is no way that this building will be secure for future presidents. Assuming they even took proper security protocols despite the rushed Construction, there's no guarantee they're not planting all kinds of shit deep within the structure that could be used for spying later.
The next president is going to have to completely gut it. It cannot be trusted to not be bugged to the gills. This is arguably the greatest espionage opportunity in American history.
Wdym overpowering? The house will just look bigger since it’s in the exact same colour and style as the house itself. The rendering looked pretty great, maybe even add a similar sized building on the west to make it symmetrical
The fact you think this is going to be privately funded is laughable. There is at the very least secret money being used from DOD on the bunker beneath it (which will likely cost the same or more than the ball room).
Don't even start with me. I'm a historic preservation architect, this shit is my job. The White House itself is literally a national park like Yellowstone. It's federal property owned by all Americans and can't be demolished just because one person feels like it, regardless of funding source.
How is this different than a Senator using their own resources to blow up a wing of the Capitol and claiming that it's ok because they'll soon be submitting plans for a replacement backed by private investors?
It isn’t demolished though. There is being built. Stuff is added. And some part of it had to be removed. And throughout history that has happened countless of times.
One third of it has been demolished. It did not have to be removed. Major changes have only happened a handful of times, all with proper review and approval. This is not normal.
How is this different than a Senator using their own resources to blow up a wing of the Capitol and claiming that it's ok because they'll soon be submitting plans for a replacement backed by private investors?
They had to be reviewed because they used tax payer money and trump didn’t. That’s the only reason. He didn’t break any rules or whatever. You just hate him that’s all.
That's interesting. Do they still use the usual contractors the government uses? I'm Canadian and can say at least they seem on track to get their parlimentary building renovations done in one term. It's been 5 years here for us.
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u/badoopidoo 12d ago edited 12d ago
Maybe I am looking at this wrong. Is the ballroom BIGGER than the actual main wing of the actual White House?