Opinion | The Corruption Behind Trump’s East Wing Demolition

A lot happened this week. “The operation targeted illegal gambling and sports rigging —” “Priceless jewels from the Louvre Museum —” “Justice Department to pay him $230 million —” “Face-off in Chinatown between federal agents and New Yorkers —” Here’s one thing you shouldn’t miss. On Monday, President Trump started knocking down the entire East Wing of the White House in order to build “Probably the finest ballroom ever built.” Here’s how Americans responded. “Destroy the entire East Wing. It’s despicable.” “Does the president have the authority to do this? Absolutely not.” “Everything this country stands for, he will absolutely destroy it for the satisfaction of his own [expletive] ego.” President Trump is hardly the first to renovate the White House. But Trump didn’t even bother to tell the American public his plans. “Many people were surprised the entire East Wing was being demolished —” — Or go through the proper approval channels before starting demolition. Is that infuriating? Yes, it is, but what really matters is he’s funding this project entirely through private donors. “You probably hear the beautiful sound of construction to the back. When I hear that sound, it reminds me of money.” The president has spent months brazenly enriching himself and his family. Even this week he asked his own Department of Justice to pay him — “$230 million.” But nothing tells that story of grift quite like taking a wrecking ball to the People’s House with private money. It sure looks like wealthy people are buying access to the president under the guise of this construction project. Just last week, Trump hosted a dinner with representatives from companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft and Lockheed Martin. Energy executives and crypto entrepreneurs filled the room and donated huge sums of money to the $200 million project. Another $22 million came from a settlement from a lawsuit Trump brought against YouTube. The White House has not said exactly who paid or how much. “The president is privately funding this ballroom addition to the White House grounds.” But we know a lot of these people have an interest in getting close to the president. Meanwhile, the government is still shut down, many federal agencies are closed, and a lot of their employees won’t be getting paychecks. “Trying not to stress out about it, but I just need to know when it’s going to end.” But Trump is still finding the money he needs to make his mark on the people’s house. The president might not be using your money, but it’s your house and you should know what’s happening to it.