Melania Trump voices concern as East Wing demolition sparks White House controversy.
Hill news reported that Melania Trump, the wife of the US President, has raised her concerns about the demolition of the East Wing of the White House in order to build a private ballroom.
Citing government officials, the US Congressional media outlet reported that the First Lady of the United States has distanced herself from the project and has told those around her that the plan to demolish the East Wing of the White House and build a ballroom is not hers.
Last week, after the release of images of the demolition of the East Wing of the White House, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt responded to the criticism, calling it “fake anger” and emphasizing that all US presidents have made changes to it during their tenure.
Hill noted that Melania Trump’s reaction to the project is particularly due to the fact that the East Wing has long been the home of the First Lady’s office and her staff.
Historians and political opponents of Donald Trump argue that the move to demolish the structure would damage the symbol of the White House as the “House of the Nation” and was not done transparently.
But the administration has responded to criticism by saying it has been transparent about the project, noting that it is also being funded privately. White House officials last week released a list of donors to the project, which includes major companies such as Amazon, Apple, and Google.