US President Donald Trump revealed first lady Melania Trump is now supportive of his plan to replace the East Wing with the new $300 million ballroom, even though she was not “fully onboard” when the idea was first raised. The MAGA chief spoke about the renovation during an interview on Fox News, offering new details about how his wife reacted to the project.Trump told host Laura Ingraham that Melania had initially been protective of her old workspace. “She loved her little, tiny office,” he said, responding to a Wall Street Journal report that she had privately raised concerns about the demolition of the East Wing. He did not deny the report but insisted she warmed up to the renovation quickly. “She’s very smart,” he said. “In about one day she, if you were to ask her now, she’d say, ‘It’s great.’”The construction began late last month and will see the 1902 East Wing replaced with a 90,000 square foot ballroom. Trump described the original building as poorly constructed. “It was made out of common brick, little, tiny windows. It looked like hell,” he told Ingraham. The GOP leader said that earlier renovations had made the structure unsuitable for White House needs. “I didn’t want to sacrifice a great ballroom for an OK ballroom by leaving it right smack in the middle,” he said.The project is funded entirely through donations, according to Trump but the Democrats are not ready to believe this. Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton posted on X, “It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.” Michelle Obama also objected, saying the East Wing “is the heart of the work” of any first lady.Trump defended the construction by arguing that the White House needs a proper space for large official events. He said previous administrations relied on tents on the lawn.
