Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell has thrown down the gauntlet, issuing a challenge to any potential Democratic presidential candidates contemplating throwing their name in the ring for 2028.
“Don’t even think of seeking the Democratic nomination for president unless you pledge to take a wrecking ball to the Trump Ballroom on DAY ONE,” Swalwell wrote on X on Saturday night. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Don’t even think of seeking the Democratic nomination for president unless you pledge to take a wrecking ball to the Trump Ballroom on DAY ONE.
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) October 26, 2025
Trump’s ballroom, which is expected to dwarf the White House in size and cost north of $300 million to construct, has caused considerable controversy since the president decided to demolish the entire East Wing of the White House in order to build it.
Democrats have been quick to condemn the ballroom’s construction, with many decrying the destruction of the East Wing and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden; Chelsea Clinton described Trump as taking a “wrecking ball” to history while Patti Davis, Ronald Reagan’s daughter, called the images of the demolition “heartbreaking.”
Swalwell has been consistent in condemning the president’s destruction and excessive expenditure, posting, “Destruction dressed up as phony ‘greatness’ is Trump’s brand,” and “Literally. And figuratively. Donald Trump destroyed the White House” on X.
Literally. And figuratively. Donald Trump destroyed the White House. pic.twitter.com/x3FeTnzt4W
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) October 22, 2025
Some Democrats who have been suggested as potential presidential candidates for 2028 have condemned Trump’s renovations.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, one of the most vocal and persistent Trump critics in the party, reposted a photo of the demolition on X and quipped, “Ripping apart the White House just like he’s ripping apart the Constitution.”
Ripping apart the White House just like he’s ripping apart the Constitution. https://t.co/zrQVgAIoqB
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 21, 2025
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who ran in the 2020 Democratic primary and who some in the party hope will run again in 2028, also criticized the renovations, taking the opportunity to hit out at Trump for not caring about the real problems Americans are facing.
“What’s most wrong about what President Trump is doing to the White House grounds is—it shows that his focus is on building a bigger venue for fancy dinners, when, because of his actual policies, Americans are opening those letters and finding out this week that they’re not going to be able to afford their healthcare next year‚” Buttigieg told CNN on Saturday.
“My focus right now isn’t about historic preservation. It’s about what’s going on in people’s lives.”
Former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who lost to Donald Trump in 2016, also condemned the demolition, calling it illegal and sharing her daughter’s essay on the White House for USA Today. She also debuted new merchandise referencing the construction, including hats that feature an image of the White House and read, “Not his house. Our house.”
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