'Music to my ears': Trump welcomes sound of demolition for $250M White House ballroom project

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump reportedly paused during a White House speech on Tuesday, October 21, to celebrate the sounds of demolition echoing through the East Wing for his Ballroom project, calling the clanging of machinery “music to my ears.”

"Oh, that’s music to my ears. I love that sound," Trump said, holding his hand to his ear as he grinned at the audience.

"Other people don’t like it. I love it, Josh," he added, gesturing to Sen Josh Hawley as the crowd laughed.

East Wing demolition underway for new ballroom

President Trump went on to joke, "The sound reminds me of money. In this case, of a lack of money…because I’m paying for it. So, it's the opposite. But it's going to be one of the most beautiful ballrooms anywhere in the world."

The remarks came a day after demolition began on the East Wing to make way for Trump’s planned $250 million ballroom, a grand addition that the president says will modernize the White House while remaining respectful of its history.

Reportedly, heavy construction equipment has already begun tearing through the area, with windows facing the Treasury Department already shattered and almost half off their hinges.

Also, there's a gaping hole where the upper-floor calligraphy office once stood.

Trump has emphasized that no taxpayer money is being used for the project, which is funded entirely by private donors and corporate contributions.

White House defends project amid backlash

The construction has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who have accused Trump of destroying the White House.

In response, the White House has issued a statement dismissing the outrage as politically driven.

“In the latest instance of manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom,” the release said.

Calling the ballroom “a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions,” the statement argued that US presidents have long expanded and modernized the executive residence.

“For more than a century, U.S. Presidents have been renovating, expanding, and modernizing the White House to meet the needs of the present day,” it added.

Trump first announced the ballroom plans in July, promising that the addition "won't interfere with the current building."

"It'll be near it but not touching it - and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of," he added.