Most controversial White House renovations amid fury over Trump's £300,000,000 change
Topics: Donald Trump, News, US News, Politics
Madison Burgess
Featured Image Credit: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, News, US News, Politics
In case you missed it, Donald Trump has been causing quite the stir with his controversial renovations to the White House.
The US president, 79, is building a $300,000,000 ballroom, which he's said will be 90,000 total square feet and have the capacity to seat 650 people.
However, to make way for his glitzy ballroom, which is being funded by himself and a list of donors, Trump has demolished the entire East Wing of the White House, prompting backlash around the US.
It was confirmed on Friday (24 October) that the East Wing was no more and had been completely destroyed.
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This has especially caused outrage as the Republican leader previously reassured Americans that his new addition would be located near the existing East Wing and not replace it entirely.
One Virginia-based couple were so outraged that they're attempting to sue the POTUS.
So, amid Trump's contentious plans, let's take a look back at other times US presidents have renovated the White House - and come under fire for doing so...
As per USA Today, Theodore Roosevelt oversaw the removal of Victorian-era conservatories in 1902, to the west of the main building.
After getting rid of them, he created the West Wing in their place to create office space for the president and his staff members, separate from the residence and living quarters.
However, the publication reported that lawmakers scrutinised the whopping $65,000 cost and The Washington Post reportedly said removing the greenhouses 'destroyed its historic value and does not seem to have made it much more desirable as a residence'. Ouch.
As per The White House Historical Association, the presidential residence underwent a renovation and expansion so extensive, it changed the Executive Mansion more than the fire of 1814.
The construction took place between 1948 and 1952 under the leadership of Harry Truman.
Also known as the Truman Reconstruction, it was essentially a comprehensive dismantling and rebuilding of the interior of the White House.
It all went down because, upon moving into the White House in 1945, the Trumans soon discovered the old mansion was on the brink of collapse.
The renovation plan was designed to maintain the outer walls of the residence but rebuild the interior to make it safe for generations to come.
However, critics argued that Truman's spending ($5.7 million) should have been lower, given the post-World War II economic situation.
And others didn't like that the historical interiors would be gone forever.
In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors.
As per Elle Decor, Jackie explained in the September 1961 issue of LIFE magazine: "Everything in the White House must have a reason for being there. It would be a sacrilege merely to redecorate it - a word I hate. It must be restored, and that has nothing to do with decoration. That is a question of scholarship."
She even gave a televised sneak peek into the changes in 1962, where she explained: "It just seemed to me such a shame when we came here to find hardly anything of the past in the house. Hardly anything before 1902."
However, some critics reportedly said her restoration was too expensive and focused on European antiques, mainly French pieces, rather than those that were American-made.
During his time as the 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon added his very own one-lane bowling alley in the basement of the White House.
As per The Hill and the White House Museum, the underground space was funded by private donors.
And surprisingly, he wasn't the first as Truman actually had one before this, which was gifted to him in 1947 to mark his birthday.
As reported by The Independent, it actually still exists and is sometimes even open to White House staff and guests, though it is not part of public tours.
Finally, Trump and First Lady Melania caused some ruckus with their Rose Garden revamp earlier this year.
The White House Rose Garden was first established back in 1913 by then-First Lady Ellen Wilson, the wife of President Woodrow Wilson.
Then, it was famously redesigned by Jackie Kennedy during her husband John F. Kennedy's presidency in the 60s.
However, the greenery and roses have now been totally covered up with a large concrete slab.
Trump explained to Fox News in March: "You know, we use [the Rose Garden] for press conferences, and it doesn’t work because the people fall. The terrain can be wet, and the soft ground can be an issue for some... Women, with the high heels, it just didn’t work."