A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Images of an excavator tearing off the facade of the East Wing of the White House are going viral this week.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The demolition marks the groundbreaking for President Trump's $250 million ballroom project.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You probably hear the beautiful sound of construction to the back. You hear that sound? Oh, that's music to my ears. I love that sound.
MARTIN: But not everyone loves what they're seeing. Historic preservation groups are expressing concern, and there are questions about whether the White House has followed proper procedure.
MARTÍNEZ: We're joined now by NPR senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, who has become our resident White House renovations correspondent. We're adding a title to you, Tamara. All right.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: (Laughter).
MARTÍNEZ: A lot of changes already. I got to admit, I saw that picture of the East Wing and I was, like, oh, wow. OK. So, I mean, it definitely does look dramatic.
KEITH: And it is. A White House official not permitted to speak on the record tells me the East Wing is being brought down, modernized and rebuilt as part of the ballroom project. President Trump has wanted to build a ballroom at the White House for more than a decade. But this demolition is taking a lot of people by surprise because when the project was announced in July, President Trump downplayed the impacts.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: It won't interfere with the current building. It won't be. It'll be near it but not touching it. And pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of.
KEITH: But then at a dinner last week for project doners, Trump pointed toward the East Wing and said this.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: Everything out there is coming down, and we're replacing it with one of the most beautiful ballrooms that you've ever seen.
KEITH: The seating capacity and the price tag of this project have increased since this summer, too.
MARTÍNEZ: So, I mean, can he just do this?
KEITH: He is just doing this.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
KEITH: There was a historical preservation phase earlier this fall. Now they're in the demolition phase. The National Capital Planning Commission would typically have a role in approving a project like this, but the newly appointed chair of that commission, a top Trump aide named Will Scharf, said in September, the commission doesn't have jurisdiction over demolition.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
WILL SCHARF: Any assertion that this commission should have been consulted earlier than it has been or that it will be is simply false and represents a misunderstanding of this commission's role in that project. When we are submitted a plan, we will review that plan.
KEITH: So they will need to approve construction, but they haven't yet, and the commission is currently closed due to the government shutdown.
MARTÍNEZ: But, OK, so the commission is shut down. The demolition is continuing, though, during the shutdown.
KEITH: The ballroom is being privately funded.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
KEITH: Trump says he is chipping in. And donors include major corporations with business before the government. Google is donating more than 20 million to the project to settle a civil suit filed by Trump. And those are among many reasons watchdogs say this project is a giant ethical red flag.
MARTÍNEZ: How does the White House respond to this?
KEITH: Well, they put out a fact sheet listing all of the various White House construction projects over the years and called the negative reaction to this one, quote, "pearl clutching." For an earlier story, the White House Historical Association told me that the White House is a living structure that has evolved repeatedly over the years. They didn't get back to me yesterday when I reached out for a comment on the demolition, but there is no denying President Trump is making an indelible mark on the White House and, arguably, also the country.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. That's NPR's Tamara Keith. Tamara, thanks.
KEITH: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
