About That Ballroom…🪩

It may turn out Trump was just jonesing for the bullfozers to prove he was large and in charge:

“Architects and historians say that it is not unusual for designs to change during a project like this, but that Mr. Trump has not followed the typical process for White House renovations, which normally involve reviews by organizations like the National Capital Planning Commission,” the report reads. “And the various plans Mr. Trump has shared have suggested a hurried process.”

Trump revealed more details on the plans for the proposed ballroom this week, including new design renderings of the facility’s exterior. The Times, however, noted in its report that there were “some mistakes” in at least one of the design renderings, including a staircase “leading up to no clear landing,” and “colliding windows.”

So, construction is ready to begin, right? Estimates have been received and reviewed, materials ordered, subcontractors lined up, a construction schedule written?

Or, maybe not.

The price of the ballroom ballooned this week from $200 million to $300 million, and construction on the project – originally slated to begin last month – has been delayed to an undetermined date.

Delayed? Really? Imagine that. So, the East Wing is gone (and its historic contents, where are they? The bunker? Upstairs? Florida?), and may remain bare earth for God knows how long? That’s gonna sit well….

I still think Trump ran up the $200 million figure to keep half of that (or more) for himself. 34 counts of criminal fraud, remember, as well as the civil fraud conviction. And then he ran it up to $300 million, because why not? And when that didn’t bother anyone, he went for $350 million; but that was too far, so he backed down to something “over” $300 million. Because he knows how to build, right?

The Trump administration has also received scrutiny for destroying the East Wing to make way for the ballroom, with images and video of a bulldozer gutting the historic building shocking critics. The fallout from the East Wing’s was so severe that Secret Service agents closed access to a nearby park from which members of the media were taking photos and videos of the facility’s demolition.

Yeah, when public opinion isn’t with you, raise the fence higher and plug the knotholes. I can’t wait until they close D. C. airspace or put Marshals on planes to confiscate phones from window seat customers, and ban Google from using satellite photos of D.C.  🪩