Overview
- In a Fox News interview, Trump said the East Wing "looked like hell" and admitted he could have built the ballroom around it but chose a full teardown.
- He said Melania Trump initially preferred her "little tiny office" yet now views the project favorably.
- The White House says the first lady’s offices will be rebuilt as part of the project and that no government money is being used.
- Michelle Obama criticized the demolition as denigrating the traditional first lady workspace, calling the East Wing "the heart of the work."
- Other critics, including Joe Biden and Chelsea Clinton, have attacked the project in recent days.