Karoline Leavitt blames Dems’ jealousy for ‘fake outrage’ over WH demolition for Trump’s ballroom

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed growing outrage over the partial demolition of the East Wing to make room for President Donald Trump’s $250 million ballroom project, attributing the criticism to “Democrats’ jealousy.” 

The comments came amid backlash from lawmakers, architecture groups, and the public after images emerged showing sections of the historic structure being torn down during a government shutdown.

Leavitt made the remarks during an appearance on Fox News’ 'Jesse Watters Primetime' on Tuesday, October 21, defending the renovation as part of a long tradition of presidential updates to the White House.

The ballroom, she emphasized, is being built entirely through private funding, including donations from major corporations and the president himself.

Karoline Leavitt defends Trump’s project, says Democrats are 'jealous'

“Are the Democrats jealous that Trump is building this big beautiful ballroom?” host Jesse Watters asked during the interview.

“It certainly appears that way, Jesse,” Leavitt replied. “I believe there’s a lot of fake outrage right now because nearly every single president who has lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own.”

She praised Trump as a leader taking decisive action on a long-desired upgrade. “While many presidents have privately dreamt about this, it’s President Trump who is actually doing something about this. He’s the builder-in-chief,” she said.

Leavitt insisted the construction would ultimately enhance the White House. “He has done it his entire life, his entire career. Construction is a process. At the end, the East Wing, which is an entirely separate structure from the executive mansion, will be more modern and beautiful than ever,” she continued. “And then on top of that, the White House is going to have a big beautiful ballroom for generations of Americans to come. And the best part of it all, it’s not a dime of the taxpayers’ money.”

Democrats blast project as 'billionaire ballroom' amid shutdown

Democrats have sharply criticized the timing and optics of the project, calling it elitist and inappropriate during a prolonged government shutdown.

“Trump’s billionaire ballroom. This is a disgrace. Welcome to the Second Gilded Age,” Rep Darren Soto (D-FL) posted on X.

Rep Jamie Raskin (D-MD) compared the renovation to historical destruction, writing, “During the War of 1812, British troops set the White House ablaze, destroying the historical building. Now, Trump, who fashions himself a king, is doing the dirty work himself, tearing apart the people’s house to build a gaudy Marie Antoinette ballroom for the billionaires and CEOs to party while Americans are crushed by inflation and tariffs.”

Sen Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) also criticized the move: “Nearly 2 million Illinoisans will see their SNAP benefits run out on November 1st—But Trump has no problem spending money to build his ballroom, bail out Argentina and buy Kristi Noem two private jets.”

White House renovations have a long history

While the ballroom has stirred intense debate, Trump is not the first president to alter the iconic residence. In the early 1900s, President Teddy Roosevelt doubled the size of the West Wing, while William Taft added the first Oval Office in 1909.

Franklin D Roosevelt moved the Oval Office to its current location and added a swimming pool in 1934. Harry Truman conducted a full interior renovation in 1948, and Richard Nixon added a bowling alley in 1970.

Even the Rose Garden has evolved, first created by Edith Roosevelt in 1903 and later redesigned by John F Kennedy for larger public gatherings. The garden underwent another renovation during Trump’s first term in 2020.

Leavitt emphasized that Trump’s ballroom would continue that legacy: “At the end of this process, Americans will have something extraordinary to celebrate, a symbol of progress, vision, and pride in our country’s future.”