When President Donald Trump reflected last week on the looming construction of his White House ballroom, the longtime real estate developer was practically giddy about the lack of red tape. He noted his New York projects often took years to break ground.
“They said, ‘Sir, you can start tonight,’” Trump said. “I said, what are you talking about? ‘You have zero zoning conditions. You’re the president of’ – I said, you got to be kidding.”
The president continued to marvel: “He said, ‘Sir, this is the White House. You’re the president of the United States. You can do anything you want.’”
Trump has now done what he wants — in ways that are causing plenty of consternation.
Images of the demolition of the existing East Wing, where the new ballroom will be located, have spurred apoplexy among Trump’s detractors and growing criticism from architectural and preservation groups.
The optics have also, perhaps tellingly, set off some metaphorical damage control at the White House.
The Treasury Department, which sits next to the East Wing,
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