When contentious issues come up, it always helps to get a bit of historical perspective.
Of late, we’ve seen a lot of objections from the left regarding the modifications currently underway at the White House. Mr. Trump is adding a ballroom. So, for perspective, why don't we examine some White House history?
In 1902, it was Teddy Roosevelt who built the West Wing ($2.1 million 2025 dollars).
William Howard Taft modified the President's office to make it an oval shape in 1909 ($610,000 in 2025 dollars).
In 1913, Woodrow Wilson removed the Colonial Garden to make it into a rose garden.
In 1927, Calvin Coolidge had the upper floors and attic refinished.
In 1929, Herbert Hoover remodeled the West Wing. There was a fire on Christmas eve of that year, which closed it for a time. It was re-opened a few months later.
FDR built the entire East Wing in 1934 (during the Depression!) and added a pool for himself. (That's $3.9 million in 2025 dollars, The pool was later removed by Richard Nixon to make space for the press corps, by Nixon.)
In 1962, JFK reworked the entire Rose Garden.
Harry Truman gutted the entire White House ($62.3 million in 2025 dollars).
Nixon added a bowling alley for himself. (It was privately funded and later removed.)
Nixon also removed FDR’s pool and made it into space for the press corps.
Barack Obama added a basketball court for himself, removing, as I recall, the existing tennis courts ($68,000 in 2025 dollars).
In 1975, Gerry Ford installed a swimming pool, on the south grounds (privately financed).
In 1993, Bill Clinton refurbished the executive mansion (costs unknown).
And now today, Trump is adding a ballroom (privately funded, about $200 million total, with $22 million for the project coming from YouTube,, as part of a recent settlement for a 2021 lawsuit Trump brought against the company).
Let's take a deeper look, from the perspective of 1963.
So Trump’s ballroom project is not overly unique in terms of White House history by any stretch. However that may be, the noise coming from Trump’s opposition, while ludicrous, does have excessive decibels going for it.
As I often say, I have no omnipotence here. I do not see myself making an appearance on the Psychic Friends Network anytime soon. My ability is in recognizing patterns. Look closely, and you, too, may notice a pattern here. There’s a long history of expansions or modifications to the White House, some using tax dollars and some privately funded. The taxpayer-funded projects meet with the approval of the Democrats and the privately funded projects do not, if the history of listed above is any guide.
This obvious and willful ignorance does seem to be in line with the left's perception of government being the end-all and be-all of American life. This is particularly true on social media, where, over the last few days, a bunch of liberal arts degree holders with a negative $300,000 USD net worth have suddenly become experts on White House history.
And look, it’s not like this ballroom won’t be used for official functions for the next century, unlike some of the other mods that have been done over the years. According to the AP, Trump has complained that the East Room can only support 200 people or so. For larger gatherings, they hoist a tent on the South Lawn. In my time as a DJ, I have played at events like parties and wedding receptions held in temporary structures often enough to speak with some authority on the subject. While nice as tents go, there was no escaping the temporary and somewhat limited nature of the things, particularly in the winter. This new facility is designed for around 600 to 900 people, depending on the function.
But now, of course, what Paul Harvey used to call the Boo Birds are at volume 11 against this project. Any excuse to go after Trump will do. The stuff I’ve listed here is all historical fact and very much available for anyone that wants to do a bit of research. It’s such back-and-forth, as has occurred with this White House expansion, that it leads me to believe if there is ever a red wave, they will all arrive on Capitol Hill in one tiny car.”
Are they really mad because changes are being made at the White House, given the long history of such, as I've listed above? Well, you know the old saying... Change is inevitable—except from a voting machine in a blue city. The thing is, facts like what I've presented here aren’t convenient when all you want to do is hate someone.
