(The Hill) — First lady Melania Trump privately raised concerns about demolishing the East Wing for President Donald Trump’s new ballroom, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The outlet also reported that the first lady distanced herself from the move, telling associates it was not her project.
The Hill has reached out to the White House and the first lady’s office for comment.
The demolition, images of which have captured headlines, lays the groundwork for the construction of Trump’s $300 million ballroom, “a bold, necessary addition” to the executive mansion, the administration said in a statement last week.
The White House has faced backlash from critics over the demolition, which was completed on Thursday. The East Wing has traditionally been home to the first lady’s office and her staff. It was most recently home to Melania Trump’s office, the offices of the White House social secretary and calligrapher, as well as the movie theater and the presidential bunker.
Historians and the president’s political opponents argue that the move to obliterate the structure harms the White House’s symbolism as “the People’s House” and was not carried out in a transparent manner.
The administration, on the other hand, maintains that it was transparent and notes that the project is being privately funded. The White House released a list of the project’s donors last week, which includes major corporations like Amazon, Apple, and Google.
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