Michelle Obama mocks Trump’s East Wing demolition: ‘Barely a staff, now we don’t have a building’
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former First Lady Michelle Obama took a playful swipe at President Donald Trump on Tuesday as she reflected on her time at the White House during an appearance on NBC’s 'TODAY' Show.
Sitting down with Jenna Bush Hager, Obama joked about the recent demolition of the White House East Wing, which Trump ordered torn down last month to make room for a $350 million gilded ballroom.
Michelle Obama on East Wing demolition
While promoting her new book Look, the 61-year-old former First Lady shared stories about her time in the East Wing, the traditional office space for First Ladies since 1977, and couldn’t resist a jab at its controversial destruction.
“There’s pressure for every First Lady,” Obama said. “But I think the spotlight was a little bit brighter on me and Barack because politics created an otherness. There were people who tried to paint everything we did as if we weren’t ready, or that we weren’t American enough.”
She smiled before adding, “The First Lady, it’s a strange job. There’s no guidebook. There’s barely a staff. Now we don’t have a building.”
Bush Hager laughed at the remark, responding, “I know. RIP the East Wing.” The exchange drew chuckles from the audience but also underscored the sense of history lost in Trump’s high-profile demolition project.
The East Wing has served as the working space for every First Lady since Rosalynn Carter, housing landmark initiatives such as Laura Bush’s literacy campaign and Michelle Obama’s 'Let’s Move!' program against childhood obesity.
Donald Trump defends his $350 million ‘golden ballroom’
Trump defended his decision to remove the structure earlier this month, calling it “not particularly nice” and “barely functional.” He told reporters that after consulting “some of the best architects in the world,” the administration decided that “knocking it down and starting over was the best course of action.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the project’s ballooning costs—from an initial $200 million to nearly $350 million—were due to modernization needs. She added that the project is being funded through private donors, including major Trump supporters, cryptocurrency magnates, and tech firms like Microsoft
The demolition has drawn sharp criticism from both parties. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton mocked the project with “Not his house. Our house” merchandise, while Chelsea Clinton penned a 'USA Today' op-ed lamenting that “what we dismantled today isn’t just marble or plaster; it’s history.”
Even 'Saturday Night Live' joined in, lampooning the ballroom plans in a sketch that imagined Trump hosting “state banquets with disco lights and gold-plated napkin rings.”
Despite the backlash, Trump has stood firm, describing the ballroom as “a world-class addition” that will make America’s most famous home “shine like never before."
