Trump adds $200M ballroom to White House renovation history tradition

President Donald Trump just isn’t the primary commander in chief to face criticism over the White Home renovation.

All through its 223-year historical past, the enduring residence has undergone quite a few updates – each massive and small – below nearly each administration.

Many on the left have been in an uproar these days, accusing Trump of damaging the historical past of the White Home as building begins on a brand new White Home ballroom.

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President Trump’s privately financed $200 million White Home ballroom is the most recent “daring, essential addition” to the chief residence, officers mentioned.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned what affect contributors might need on Trump in the event that they donate to the renovation.

Development of the White Home ballroom began Monday and is predicted to be accomplished “lengthy earlier than” the top of Trump’s time period. (The related press)

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton additionally criticized the measure, writing on X on Tuesday: “It is not his home. It is your own home. And he is destroying it.”

Development on the ballroom began Monday and the undertaking “is predicted to be accomplished properly earlier than the top of President Trump’s time period,” the White Home mentioned.

“Virtually each president who has lived on this lovely White Home … has made his personal modernizations and renovations,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned this week. (White Home)

“Virtually each president who has lived on this lovely White Home behind me has made his personal modernizations and renovations,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned not too long ago on stage.

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“Actually, for many years — in trendy instances — presidents have joked about how they wished that they had a bigger occasion area right here on the White Home, one thing that would accommodate lots of extra individuals than the present East Room and State Eating Room,” she added.

“Presidents have joked for many years — in trendy instances — about how they wished that they had an even bigger occasion area right here on the White Home,” Leavitt mentioned. (The White Home)

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President Trump not too long ago ordered the addition of stone pavers to the Rose Backyard garden, a change meant to raised accommodate press conferences and ceremonial occasions.

The occasion area, additionally known as the Rose Backyard Membership, hosted Senate Republicans on Tuesday.

President Trump is seen having lunch with Republican senators within the White Home Rose Backyard. (AP Photograph/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

From President Invoice Clinton’s creation of a jogging path across the South Grounds driveway to President Dwight Eisenhower’s set up of a placing inexperienced, the Folks’s Home has frequently advanced to replicate the instances and the presidents who known as it residence.

This is a take a look at a number of the most notable renovations which have formed the White Home over time.

Theodore Roosevelt builds West Wing (1902)

President Theodore Roosevelt constructed the West Wing in 1902. (White Home President George W. Bush)

Earlier than it was formally referred to as the White Home, the residence was generally known as the Govt Mansion or the President’s Home. In keeping with the Nationwide Park Service, President Theodore Roosevelt is credited with making the “White Home” official when Congress appropriated cash for repairs and redecoration.

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Throughout this era, Roosevelt additionally changed the previous conservatories with new government workplaces, establishing the so-called West Wing. Work started in June 1902 and was accomplished by the top of the yr.

William Howard Taft creates the primary Oval Workplace (1909)

In keeping with the White Home Historic Affiliation (WHAA), President Taft held a contest to pick out an architect who would make Roosevelt’s non permanent West Wing everlasting.

Nathan C. Wyeth of Washington, DC designed the growth and created the Oval Workplace. Wyeth was impressed by the Blue Room within the White Home due to its oval form, which created a ‘dyke’.

President Trump, above, is proven within the Oval Workplace. William Howard Taft created the primary Oval Workplace in 1909. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Pictures)

“The levee, a convention that originated within the English court docket, was a possibility for distinguished males to fulfill the president,” the WHAA wrote.

Friends entered the room, approached the president on the fire and bowed as an aide introduced their names.

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The doorways then closed and the visitors stood in a semicircle whereas the President walked via the group and greeted everybody.

Franklin Roosevelt provides East Wing (1942), indoor pool (1933).

After FDR’s polio prognosis, an indoor pool was put in in 1933 so he may swim for train. It was funded by a marketing campaign. (Nationwide Archives)

The East Wing was in-built 1942 throughout FDR’s administration to deal with extra employees and workplaces. The East Wing undertaking was extremely controversial throughout World Struggle II.

“Republicans in Congress blasted the spending as wasteful, with some accusing Roosevelt of utilizing the undertaking to spice up the picture of his presidency,” the WHAA notes on its web site.

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An indoor pool had beforehand been put in in 1933 after FDR’s polio prognosis so he may swim usually for train.

The Each day Information has established the “Roosevelt Swimming Pool Fund” for the undertaking, which has raised greater than $12,000, in accordance with the WHAA.

The White Home press room emerged throughout President Nixon’s time period in workplace; he transformed the indoor pool into a brand new area for the rising media. (AP/Evan Vucci)

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President Richard Nixon then transformed the pool into the White Home press room in 1970 to create area for the rising press.

Nixon reportedly didn’t need any injury performed to the construction in order that the pool may very well be simply repaired, with a undertaking architect saying this was “in case he acquired feedback about destroying FDR’s pool.”

(Gerald Ford’s administration put in an out of doors pool on the South Garden in 1975.)

Harry Truman Reconstructs the White Home (1948-1952)

President Truman gutted the White Home beginning in 1948, at a complete value of $5.7 million. (Harry S. Truman Library Presidential Library and Museum/NARA)

President Truman “gutted” the White Home beginning in 1948, at a complete value of $5.7 million. T

The work was licensed by Congress to resolve the bodily stress on the constructing amid fears of a collapse.

Richard Nixon provides bowling alley (1973)

Two computerized bowling alleys had been first put in within the White Home through the administration of President Harry Truman.

This was later moved to the basement of the Govt Workplace Constructing.

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Avid bowlers, President Nixon and Mrs. Nixon added a brand new one-lane alley.

In keeping with paperwork from the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, the alley was paid for by Nixon’s associates.

Barack Obama provides basketball court docket (2009)

President Obama created a full basketball court docket within the White Home. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures)

President Obama reworked an current tennis court docket right into a full basketball court docket.

“The White Home has had a smaller out of doors court docket since 1991, however the modified tennis court docket supplies sufficient area for a full-court basketball recreation,” reads the official Obama White Home web site.

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Fox Information Digital has contacted the Obama Basis for remark.

Fox Information Digital’s Madison Colombo contributed reporting.