I really hope this will be the last time I rail against the destruction of the East Wing of the White House to put up a huge Trump ballroom. But this weekend, several pundits, our former White House aides who should know better, said presidents really need this ballroom, as did the now Trump-leaning Washington Post editorial page.
It’s simple to list the ways they are so wrong. Number one, it destroys the majesty of the White House, a new building larger than the house itself. Two, the massive ballroom will be tasteless and tacky. Three, presidents do not need a 990 seat ballroom. The East Wing has been seating 200, which is a perfect size for most state dinners. A number of other countries, Japan, Canada, China, which holds state dinners in the Great Hall of the People, finds separate venues for these occasions and have not suffered diplomatically or socially.
And six, on those occasions have an unusually large White House dinner. Trump can always go a mile away. He can entertain his billionaire buddies to the magnificent National Building Museum, and that will seat as many as 2,000.
You know, I’ve heard complaints that sometimes White House dinners have been held under a tent on the lawn. I’ve been to several of these, and I can tell you, I thought they were terrific, and I’ve never have heard anyone, anyone complain about going to the White House for a fancy dinner under the tent. And finally, the gaudy new ballroom is going to be privately financed by big donors, many of whom have business before the government.
Why do you think these fat cats are forking over for this ill-designed project? My only hope, as I said last week, is that someday it’s torn down and the east wing is restored.
Trump is just the latest in a long line of conquerors asserting their power over a subject people. This is so deeply symbolic. Because the East Wing - and the White House - is worth a whole lot more than the sum of its parts. He’s a dog pissing on a lamppost. It’s all about dominance.
https://open.substack.com/pub/meaghanwilsonanastasios/p/the-white-house-gets-its-east-wing?r=56f9a3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
200 guests for a State dinner is laughable. People have 200-300 people at their wedding reception, but you think 200 for a State dinner is acceptable. You are not only petty, but ridiculous.