Anger at White House renovation lacks ‘historical context’: Zito & Concha
The article discusses the criticism President Donald Trump has faced over renovations to the White House’s East Wing, specifically the construction of a large new ballroom. Despite backlash from politicians like Hillary Clinton and California Governor Gavin Newsom, commentators Salena Zito and Joe Concha argue that such renovations are historically common and lack proper context. Zito points out that almost every president has made White House restorations, citing Jackie Kennedy’s well-known 1960s renovation efforts, including plans for a ballroom that were never realized.She emphasizes that the White house is a historic building that requires updates over time and that Trump’s renovations will remain long after his presidency. Concha highlights that the East Wing is not part of the original White House but a separately built office space by FDR over 90 years ago, and notes that no taxpayer money is being used for the current project. both suggest the criticism is more about political outrage than substantive concern, with Concha pointing out “outrage fatigue” among Trump’s detractors. The new ballroom is expected to host up to 999 guests and address past complaints about event space limitations. The piece places Trump’s renovations within a long tradition of White House modifications by past presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.
Anger at White House renovation lacks ‘historical context’: Zito & Concha
Washington Examiner’s Salena Zito and Joe Concha both brushed off online criticism that President Donald Trump is receiving for his White House renovations on Wednesday, with both arguing this is nothing new for the historic building.
Trump’s renovation of the White House’s East Wing includes building a large ballroom, and photos of the construction are being shared on social media. Several prominent politicians, including former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), are not enthused and said on X that the president is “destroying” the White House.
Zito, however, said “almost every president” has done some form of restoration to the White House, recalling how former first lady Jackie Kennedy televised her “beautiful” restoration in the 1960s. Kennedy also intended to include a ballroom in the White House, but this never came to be since then-President John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
“But the media attention when she did it, and I don’t have a problem with it, was that she gave a White House tour, I’m old enough to remember it, and she won an Emmy for it! And I think the larger problem not just within my profession, but also just with people that are, as I said, clutching their pearls, is they don’t have historical context, and I think that’s really, really important,” Zito said on Fox News’s The Story with Martha MacCallum, guest-hosted by Aishah Hasnie.
“Almost every president has done some sort of restoration, and it’s not as though President Trump is going to take home the White House when he leaves. This is something that is everlasting until it needs a renovation,” Zito said.
Zito also noted that building is “who President Trump is,” and recalled how she and Trump once visited the U.S. steel plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Trump looked at the plant as they were driving around, and told Zito he knew of “some really good silver paint” to improve the plant’s appearance.
Meanwhile, Concha said Trump’s critics are in a “glass case of emotion,” saying many are frequently criticizing him since he announced his run for office in June 2015. He suggested most people have “outrage fatigue” over Trump, and Democrats specifically are suffering from “selective outrage” for being upset over this but not the controversy in the Virginia attorney general election.
“The bottom line is that the East Wing isn’t part of the original White House structure. It’s an office building, it was built by FDR more than 90 years ago. It’s been modified multiple times over the years since, and in this case, as you mentioned before, there are zero taxpayer dollars being used. So for those who don’t like it, they should be reminded of an old quote from one Barack Obama, John: ‘Elections have consequences,’” Concha said on Fox News’s America Reports.
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Former President Theodore Roosevelt started construction of the West Wing in 1902, the first major reconstruction since 1814. Roosevelt’s successor, President William Howard Taft, remodeled and expanded the West Wing in 1909, a reconstruction that included the creation of the first Oval Office.
Trump said on Monday that the new ballroom will host up to 999 people, noting that previous presidents have complained about the lack of space for large gatherings and that it will be “the most beautiful ballroom in the country.”
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