The top story last week, at least in terms of shock value, might well be the ongoing saga of the Trump White House ballroom, which started out as a $200 million development off of the building’s East Wing accommodating 300 guests and completely paid for by private donors.
It then grew to 600 guests and the price doubled.
The East Wing of the White House was then completely demolished without approval by Capitol architectural authorities to make way for a greatly expanded facility.
The wholesale reconstruction of the White House by Trump is taking place even as preservation groups have belatedly increased their efforts to stop the whole tacky gilded enterprise, describing it as an abomination that would overwhelm and diminish the entire historic White House layout. For what it’s worth, Trump has already paved over Jackie Kennedy’s Rose Garden and made many structural and decorative changes to the inside of the building.
But that was only the beginning.
The recent alleged attempt to assassinate Trump at the Washington Hilton Hotel created an opportunity to make the ballroom even bigger and multifunctional, to include security features like an underground bomb shelter, a glider and drone resistant exterior, and an in-house medical facility.
To no one’s surprise this boosted the cost of the ballroom and its add-onsby $1 billion morebeyond the already doubled cost, which additional expense Trump is now seeking from the taxpayer by way of the Department of Homeland Security budget.
Trump’s talking heads are maintaining that the extras are essential as they will keep the president “safe.”
Trump is reportedly preparing for a trip to China next week to meet with that country’s political leadership.
He apparently is doing that in part through visits to two of his golf courses.
Source: Trends in the News
