The US President seems very excited about changes he’s making – but the latest has confirmed people’s worst fears
Donald Trump has made another change to the White House – and his plan is becoming even more clear.
The US President has been talking exuberantly about his plan to give the White House “much needed renovations” during his presidency.
During his first Presidency, Trump was reported to have complained that the White House is not to his taste – allegedly branding it “a real dump”. So this time around he’s decided to make some changes.
It comes after Trump was seen wandering on the White House roof – and making an unusual arm gesture.
The first and most obvious change was the lashings of gold he applied to the Oval Office. He also added a pair of enormous mirrors to the walls of the most famous office in the world.
And his latest change has made it clear that what he’s actually trying to do is make the so-called People’s House into a replica of Mar A Lago, his Palm Beach resort and clubhouse.
Trump famously loves holding court on the patio at Mar A Lago, glad-handing with hangers-on and holding court for people trying to gain his favour.
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So when he made the decision to pave over the White House’s iconic rose garden to create a white patio, it raised many eyebrows.
And last night, suspicions were confirmed as tables, chairs and umbrellas appeared on the new patio.
The chairs and and yellow and white umbrellas are identical to those found on the Mar A Lago terrace.
Last week the White House published images of Trump’s plan to tack a huge ballroom onto the side of the East Wing.
The artist impressions of what the ballroom will look like closely resemble the Versailles-esque ballroom at Mar A Lago.
It’s prompted questions about why Trump would spend so much of – reportedly – his own money on splashing his own taste and preferences on a building he legally has to move out of in three and a half years.
The East Room, the largest room in the White House, can accommodate about 200 people.
Trump said he’s been planning the construction for some time.
“They’ve wanted a ballroom at the White House for more than 150 years but there’s never been a president that was good at ballrooms,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “I’m good at building things and we’re going to build quickly and on time. It’ll be beautiful, top, top of the line.”
He said the new ballroom would not interfere with the mansion itself.
“It’ll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” he said of the White House. “It’s my favorite. It’s my favorite place. I love it.”
Trump said the ballroom will serve administrations to come.
“It’ll be a great legacy project,” he said. “I think it will be really beautiful.”
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom will be built where the East Wing sits with a seated capacity of 650 people. The East Wing houses several offices, including the first lady’s. Those offices will be temporarily relocated during construction and that wing of the building will be modernized and renovated, said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“Nothing will be torn down,” she said.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said the president and his White House are “fully committed” to working with the appropriate organizations to preserve the mansion’s “special history.”
“President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail,” Wiles said in a statement.
Leavitt said at her briefing last Thursday that Trump and other donors have committed to raising the approximately $200 million in construction costs. She did not name any of the other donors.
The president chose McCrery Architects, based in Washington, as lead architect on the project. The construction team will be led by Clark Construction. Engineering will be provided by AECOM.
Trump also has another project in mind. He told NBC News in an interview that he intends to replace what he said was a “terribly” remodelled bathroom in the famous Lincoln Bedroom with one that is closer in style to the 19th century.