President Donald Trump fired back at Michelle Obama after she attacked his White House renovation project — and he did it in classic Trump fashion.
In an interview with Laura Ingraham on Monday, Trump defended his plan to replace the outdated East Wing with a stunning new ballroom, calling it “one of the greatest in the world.”
“The East Wing is being funded by private donors,” Trump said. “It’s a $250–300 million project. It’s going to be the most beautiful anywhere in the world.”
Trump said the old space simply wasn’t practical for major state events. “They could only fit 79 people,” he said. “When you have President Xi or another world leader, you don’t want to stick them under a tent on the lawn sitting in six inches of rainwater. It was a disaster.”
Michelle Obama blasted the project last week, calling the East Wing “the heart” of the first lady’s work and accusing Trump of “denigrating” history. But Trump wasn’t having it.
“That building was renovated 20 times,” he said. “They even added an ugly top floor that ruined the look. I’m not sacrificing a world-class ballroom for a mediocre one just to keep something that’s been rebuilt over and over.”
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom will mark the first time in U.S. history that the White House has a dedicated, permanent space for large state dinners and formal gatherings — designed in the same classical style as the original building.
Trump called the renovation a long-overdue upgrade for America’s most iconic home. “We’re making the People’s House shine again,” he said.