Phxt Chelsea Clinton slammed President Donald Trump in a fiery USA Today op-ed, accusing him of showing a “blatant disregard for history” with his controversial decision to add a ballroom to the White House.
Chelsea Clinton has taken direct aim at President Donald Trump in a blistering USA Today op-ed, accusing him of showing a “disregard for history” and “taking a wrecking ball to our national heritage” through his sweeping White House renovations — including the controversial demolition of the East Wing to make room for a new ballroom.
“A disregard for history is a defining trait of President Trump’s second administration,” Clinton wrote, condemning not only the renovations but also the administration’s interference at the Smithsonian and its DEI censorship campaign at the Pentagon, which even ensnared the legendary Enola Gay.
Reflecting on her own time in the White House, Clinton — daughter of former President Bill Clinton — noted that she always understood the residence didn’t belong to her. Having moved in at age 12 in 1993 and later leaving for Stanford during her father’s second term, she said she viewed the White House as “a living museum of democracy, not a stage for personal vanity.”
The White House tore down part of the East Wing to build the ballroom President Donald Trump wants added to the building. (The Associated Press)
Other presidents have made changes or renovations to the White House, Clinton noted, but Trump’s changes have drawn considerable criticism, especially after demolition of a section of the East Wing began to begin construction of the privately funded, $250 million ballroom.
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“Renovations themselves aren’t the problem — it’s not about who orders them or who foots the bill,” she wrote, acknowledging that the president holds authority over the White House grounds. “But authority isn’t the same as stewardship. True stewardship demands transparency, consultation, and respect for the weight of history.”
Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton. (JP Yim / Getty )
“This is what happens when we take a wrecking ball to our heritage,” Clinton wrote.
Clinton’s article and X post went viral, with conservative critics reminding her of the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal and other uncomfortable moments from her family’s White House tenure.
“Your dad turned the White House into his own personal Burning Man tent, and we all get it,” one conservative commentator wrote.
“I’m sorry, but of all the people I want to hear from least on the subject of desecrating the White House, it’s anyone with the surname Clinton,” another wrote.
The ballroom has certainly struck a nerve in the Clinton family.
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Clinton’s mother, former first lady Hillary Clinton, posted on X this week, “It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.” A New York Times article called the images of the demolition “jarring,” and historical preservationists have also balked at the changes in media reports.
President Donald Trump has enthusiastically touted the construction of a new ballroom at the White House. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News this week there was a lot of “fake outrage” about the ballroom.
“Nearly every single president who’s lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own,” Leavitt said. “In fact, presidents for decades — in modern times — have joked about how they wished they had a larger event space here at the White House, something that could hold hundreds more people than the current East Room and State Dining Room.”
Trump told reporters it would be “world-class” and has said it will be paid for by himself and a host of corporate sponsors.
