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President Donald Trump spoke out after reports that his wife, Melania Trump, had privately expressed concerns about demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make room for a new ballroom.
President Trump, 79, appeared on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” on Monday, November 10, and was asked by host Laura Ingraham if the Wall Street Journal report was true. President Trump dismissed the idea, saying he came up with it quickly.
“She loved her tiny little office,” he admitted, according to the Daily Beast. (The East Wing has been home to the first lady’s office and staff for decades.)
“But you know what? She’s very smart. Within a day or so, she’s like – I asked her now, ‘That’s amazing,'” he added.
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The Journal reported in late October that administration officials said first lady Melania Trump had “privately expressed concerns about demolishing the East Tower and told officials it was not her project.”
Construction officially began on the 90,000-square-foot White House Ballroom in September, with construction expected to cost at least $300 million.
President Trump previously noted that the plan was designed to “modernize” the east wing and make it function as a reception space for foreign dignitaries.
“The White House Ballroom will be effectively separated from the main White House building, but at the same time its theme and architectural heritage will be nearly identical,” the press release states. “The location of the new ballroom will be where the smaller east wing, which has been significantly altered and rebuilt, is currently located.”
The ballroom features gold chandeliers, coffered ceilings and vast floor space, similar to the venue design at Trump’s Palm Beach mansion, Mar-a-Lago.
A source told PEOPLE in August that the Trump family has renovated numerous historic buildings and “brought the gold-themed Oval Office to Washington.”
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In addition to the ballroom, the Trumps installed Mar-a-Lago’s signature yellow and white beach umbrellas on the former Rose Garden lawn patio, and installed a new Walk of Fame along the West Colonnade, a nod to former President Joe Biden.
Trump also hung several new portraits of himself around the White House and installed marble floors in at least two rooms.
The White House has not announced a completion date for the new ballroom building, which will dwarf the original White House structure, but the release said it will open “well before the end of President Trump’s term.”
