Trump’s Big Beautiful Ballroom Is a Gift for America in the Best Tradition of His Predecessors

Breitbart

"On November 2, 1800, President John Adams penned a quick letter to his beloved wife, Abigail, to inform her that he had arrived in the new capital city and that their still unfinished residence—which he simply called “the President’s house”—was “habitable.” He ended with a hopeful prayer: “I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof.”

"His prayer turned out to be more aspirational than predictive. Although I’m certain the Almighty has bestowed His blessings on our nation, the inhabitants of that house have been a mixed bag of dishonest and foolish along with honest and wise.

"And almost none of them lived under the same “roof” that Adams did. The structure that we now call the White House has been burned, trashed, demolished, dilapidated, gutted, and subjected to every kind of indignity — from poor taste to debauchery — for the past 225 years. The only thing connecting the current structure to the barely “habitable” building that Adams first entered is some of the sandstone exterior walls." . . .

A George Munger painting showing the smoke-filled shell of the White House after it was burned by
the British in 1814. All that remained was the charred sandstone exterior. (Wikimedia Commons)

. . . "Old Hickory’s Drunken Hootenanny and Giant Cheese 

"The botany-loving President John Quincy Adams added an arboretum to the White House grounds, as well as a billiard table to the residency. But his populist successor from the wilds of Tennessee left a bigger imprint on the White House—in more ways than one.

"Jackson added the North Portico (for which he was criticized for lavish spending) and installed indoor plumbing. But perhaps his most memorable impact on the structure was the rager he threw for his inauguration.

"Jackson — or “Old Hickory” as they called him — was beloved by the “deplorables” of his day, to the horror of the East Coast establishment from the 13 original colonies.

"He was the first to really democratize the “People’s House” — in the sense that he invited “the People” inside to celebrate with him. An unruly throng (described by contemporaries as a “mob”) of 20,000 well-wishers followed Jackson to the White House after his swearing-in ceremony. What followed is the stuff of legend, as the White House Historical Association explains:" . . .

Many, many more historical photos of most of the manifestations of the Exective Mansion

The fire:1929 was a bad year all around

Sound familiar? "[First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy] endured vociferous attacks from critics claiming that she was wasting money, despite the fact that her restoration work was funded by private donors. The critics were wrong yet again. Today, every administration follows Jacqueline Kennedy’s lead in fundraising to preserve the White House’s history and heritage." . . .

Trump’s Big Beautiful Ballroom

"By now, we can see four patterns in White House renovation history:

1. Every White House renovation is met with criticism — often for political reasons. But with time, most of the changes are embraced, and no one even remembers the criticism.
2. The White House is not a mausoleum frozen in time. It’s constantly changing.
3. The projects are always criticized for wasting money, even though many of them rely on private donations.
4. The most lasting renovations are the ones that serve the American people, not just the presidents.

"For all of these reasons, Trump’s Big Beautiful Ballroom is in keeping with the best traditions of his predecessors.

"First, his critics are almost all politically motivated, and their criticism is unlikely to stand the test of time. Do they really want us to believe that the man who respectfully restored the Plaza Hotel and Mar-a-Lago will be careless with the White House? You might think he’s winging it when it comes to Middle East peace, but you cannot seriously claim that he doesn’t know how to build a ballroom." . . .

Eric Swalwell says the first Democrat to win the Presidency must...must demolish this. I think they will back down to public pressure but, knowing the level of inferior attributes of this dysfunctional political party, I expect a Democrat Party will refuse to use the ballroom, preferring another location or a big tent as before. TD

Swalwell demands 2028 Dem candidates vow to destroy Trump's White House ballroom project   . . . "Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said the next Democratic presidential nominee must vow to demolish President Donald Trump's White House ballroom, proposing the pledge a litmus test for the party’s 2028 contenders.  "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."