Demolition work on the facade of the East Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, on Tuesday. Photograph: The New York Times
“Move fast and break things” quickly became the pleased and unofficial motto of the second Trump administration. On Wednesday, it became clear that the phrase applied to the East Wing of the White House.
The sight of the side edifice of the presidential residence subjected to the mauling of excavators, which quickly demolished much of the exterior wall on Wednesday, generated shock and consternation from preservationists, the general public and Democratic opponents. All of it was countered by a blase promise from president Trump that the outcome – the 90,000sq ft ballroom with gold chandeliers and a marble floor – will be worth this swift erasure of living history.
As he hosted Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon, the president was primarily concerned with talking about the imminent US sanctions on Russia and why he believes the time has come for the fighting between Russia and Ukraine to stop. But like any born property developer, he had brought along the plans for his latest baby to the meeting.
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