Whoopi Goldberg slams Trump over White House demolition for ballroom: ‘That’s not your building’
WASHINGTON, DC: Whoopi Goldberg isn’t holding back her thoughts on President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to demolish parts of the White House for a new ballroom project.
During the Tuesday, October 21 episode of 'The View', the 69-year-old actress and talk show host voiced her outrage as she and her co-hosts discussed the ongoing construction at the nation’s most iconic residence.
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Whoopi Goldberg says the White House belongs to the people and not Trump
Clips showing bulldozers working on the White House East Wing aired during the segment, prompting Goldberg to deliver a fiery message aimed directly at the president.
The 'Sister Act' star began, “That is not your building. You don’t own that building. That would be like me going over to Trump Tower and saying I’m going to build a disco.”
Goldberg, known for her sharp political takes, continued, “You don’t own that building! That is the people’s building!”
Her co-host Joy Behar joined in by singing a parody of Lesley Gore’s ‘You Don’t Own Me’, changing the lyric to “You don’t own it.”
'The View' co-hosts call Trump a ‘one-man wrecking ball’ over White House changes
Behar, 83, went on to call the president “a one-man wrecking ball,” while co-host Sunny Hostin likened the construction to what she described as a “metaphor for what’s going on in the country.”
“He is tearing down the house,” Hostin said. “He is tearing down the people’s house.”
The hosts collectively criticized the president’s aesthetic choices, with Hostin and Behar suggesting that Trump’s new “grand, golden ballroom” might end up looking “tacky.”
Alyssa Farah Griffin defends Trump’s right to remodel White House but questions timing
While most of 'The View' panel was united in disapproval, conservative co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin offered a tempered defense.
She acknowledged Trump’s right to make changes to the White House but pointed out that the “optics” of the project were questionable.
“Building a ballroom to celebrate wealth and excellence doesn’t land well when many Americans are struggling financially,” she said.
Trump announces construction start for ‘beautiful new ballroom’
On Monday, October 20, the president confirmed via Truth Social that construction had officially begun.
“I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,” Trump wrote. “This Ballroom will be happily used for generations to come!” he added.
According to the White House website, the ballroom project is being privately funded by donors and described as “a transformative addition that will significantly increase the White House’s capacity to host major functions honoring world leaders, foreign nations, and other dignitaries.”
