President Donald Trump’s ambitious plan to construct a grand ballroom at the White House has reportedly received massive opposition from the American public. The overwhelming negative feedback is seen as the disconnect between how the administration has shown the proposal and how everyday citizens actually view it.
Donald Trump reportedly received negative comments over Ballroom decision
The National Capital Planning Commission reportedly received more than 35,000 comments about the planned 1,000-seat ballroom ahead of its March 5 hearing, according to a Washington Post of submissions posted on the commission’s website. Commission staff confirmed that the “vast majority” of comments opposed the plan, with the outlet’s review finding that over 97% were critical of the president’s vision for the White House expansion.
The volume of feedback represents the most public commentary on any project before the panel in recent years, Stephen Staudigl, a spokesman for the National Capital Planning Commission, wrote in an email. More than 100 people were also scheduled to testify at the virtual hearing about the proposed construction.
The opposition spans political affiliations and professional backgrounds. Longtime Republicans who have supported Donald Trump through three elections expressed dismay at his treatment of the historic building. “I voted for Trump three times. But I did not vote for this,” said Jim Cunningham, a Republican who has held local elected office in Media, Pennsylvania. “Trump is only a temporary occupant of the White House. It belongs to the American people. It’s not his personal property.”
Former White House staffers also pushed back against the Donald Trump administration’s rationale that a ballroom is necessary for entertaining VIP guests. Deborah Sloan, who served as assistant to White House Social Secretary Lucy Winchester from 1969 to 1972, challenged this argument directly. “The magic of a state dinner is the intimacy the guests feel when they’re in the presence of the president of the United States, not in having to stand in a receiving line with 500 or 1,000 people,” Sloan stated.
Commission officials announced they would postpone voting on the ballroom proposal until their April 2 meeting, citing the huge public feedback received.
