Karoline Leavitt hails Washington Post for backing Trump’s East Wing rebuild plan

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the Washington Post for its editorial supporting President Donald Trump’s East Wing reconstruction plan. She called it a “first dose of common sense” from the outlet for recognizing the modernization of the historic building. 

Karoline Leavitt's tweet praising Washington Post

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, October 26, Leavitt wrote,

“First dose of common sense I’ve seen from the legacy media on this story! 👀

‘Washington Post Editorial Board: Trump replacing the White House East Wing is not the end of the world.’”

The editorial comes as the administration faces scrutiny over the partial demolition of the East Wing to make way for a new White House ballroom. 

Editorial backs Donald Trump’s ballroom project

“In classic Trump fashion, the president is pursuing a reasonable idea in the most jarring manner possible. Privately, many alumni of the Biden and Obama White Houses acknowledge the long-overdue need for an event space like what Trump is creating.

It is absurd that tents need to be erected on the South Lawn for state dinners, and VIPs are forced to use porta-potties,” the editorial stated, backing the initiative.

It also noted that preservationists opposed the plan, saying Trump bypassed traditional reviews. The board argued that without Trump’s direct action, the project “would have faced death by a thousand papercuts”.

Editorial cites security and modernization needs

The piece justified the project, noting the need for stronger security and citing delays in past upgrades.

“Though fundraising for the ballroom raises conflict-of-interest concerns, examples justify Trump’s urgency,” it said, referencing the 2014 fence jumper incident that took five years of bureaucratic review before new fencing was installed.

Donald Trump joins long line of White House remodelers

The editorial also placed Trump’s project in historical context.

Theodore Roosevelt replaced greenhouses with the West Wing. William Howard Taft built the first Oval Office in 1909. Richard Nixon turned a swimming pool into the press briefing room in 1970. The modern East Wing was added during World War II to conceal an underground bunker. Harry Truman rebuilt the interior and added the Truman Balcony—initially criticized, now iconic.

It concluded, “The White House cannot simply be a museum to the past. Like America, it must evolve with the times. Strong leaders reject calcification. In that way, Trump’s undertaking is a shot across the bow at NIMBYs everywhere”.