Steve Cohen suggests tearing down Trump’s White House ballroom if Democrats win in 2028
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the controversies surrounding the renovations at the White House, Rep Steve Cohen (D-Tenn) has suggested that if Republicans lose the 2028 presidential election, President Donald Trump’s ballroom must be torn down.
Cohen’s remark is both a dig at the plan and a reminder of how quickly priorities can shift when power changes hands.
Steve Cohen's remark mirrors views of half of Americans
“I don’t think it would be a bad idea to tear it down,” Cohen told NBC News in an interview published Friday. “It’s this gigantic blob there that’s Donald Trump,” he added.
According to a survey by YouGov, published in October, 54 percent of Americans strongly or somewhat disapprove of the move lauded by the Trump administration.
“This is a space that’s owned by the people and that serves the people,” Rep Jamie Raskin (D-Md) told NBC regarding the ballroom. “So, it should be used opposite of what Trump has in mind, which is for the American aristocracy and plutocracy to gather.”
Rep Ro Khanna (D-Calif) said Americans should have a say in what happens to the ballroom after the president leaves office. “We need a White House that is not for the tech billionaires, but for forgotten Americans,” he told NBC.
“In that spirit, we should ask Americans — in rural communities, urban centers, and hollowed-out factory towns — for their ideas of what to do with the space,” Khanna added.
Senators question donors behind ballroom
“These circumstances risk blatant corruption as these companies and their stakeholders seek to position themselves in the government’s good graces,” said Democratic Senators.
Adam Schiff (Calif), Richard Blumenthal (Conn), Chris Van Hollen (Md), Angela Alsobrooks (Md), Alex Padilla (Calif), Jon Ossoff (Ga), Jeff Merkley (Ore), Peter Welch (D-Vt), Tammy Duckworth (Ill), Jack Reed (RI) and Dick Durbin (Ill), along with Independent Sen Bernie Sanders (Vt), wrote in a letter to WH Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
They also demanded a full list of corporations and individuals funding the project.
The project moves ahead despite criticisms
Despite the criticism, the president says the project will move ahead at full speed.
“The East Wing was a beautiful, little, tiny structure that was built many years ago that was renovated and expanded and disbanded and columns ripped out — and it had nothing to do with the original building,” Trump said during an interview on Monday, November 10, with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.
“It was a poor, sad sight, and I could have built the ballroom around it, but it would not have been — we’re building one of the greatest ballrooms in the world,” Trump said.
