White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attacked New York Times journalists after architects exposed fake windows, blocked views and staircases to nowhere in Trump’s ballroom project
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, lost it at reporters over the new White House Ballroom(Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Karoline Leavitt angrily blew up at reporters after a new report from the architects exposed serious design flaws in President Donald Trump’s soon-to-be ballroom.
After the president’s $300 million White House ballroom came under fire from a trained architect, a fine arts expert, and an urban planning writer in The New York Times on Sunday, Leavitt, Trump’s 28-year-old mouthpiece, unleashed her anger at the Times and its contributors on X, questioning their credentials and insisting that the “People’s House” has “needed” a ballroom for decades.
The authors flagged that the 90,000-square-foot ballroom features “fake windows on the north side,” columns that “block interior ballroom view,” and an “unnecessarily big” rooftop area.
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They also pointed out that “its stairs lead nowhere,” with several ground-level staircases appearing to have no connection to an entrance into the ballroom.
“The New York Times had three random people who have ‘studied fine arts,’ ‘long written about urban planning,’ and never built anything to write an article criticizing the new White House ballroom,” Leavitt posted on X, alongside screenshots of the OG article.
Leavitt went on to say, “President Trump and his lead architect have built world-class buildings around the world, and they are ensuring the People’s House finally has a beautiful ballroom that’s been needed for decades – at no expense to the taxpayer.”
Various concepts of Trump’s ballroom that had been unveiled include a hastily assembled model by a contractor, windows that clash with one another, and a staircase that leads nowhere.
What began as a modest addition to the east wing has since grown into a 650-seat venue. From there, Trump pushed for a 999-seat ballroom before seeking capacity for 1,350.
James McCrery, a well-regarded conservative architect who heads a small Washington firm celebrated for its Catholic church designs, was handpicked by Trump to lead the grand ballroom project — and was reportedly just as stunned as anyone by the sheer scale of the undertaking.
Additionally, Trump has expressed surprise that he “doesn’t need to comply with the permitting requirements he encountered in New York.” He doesn’t require anyone’s approval, he has told those around him, and can “start any project at the White House as rapidly as he wishes,” wrote the NYT. “You’re the president of the United States, you can do anything you want,” Trump had said he’s been told.
The National Capital Planning Commission, which oversees the project’s designs, had its director substituted with Trump attorney Will Scharf. Scharf determined there was no need to examine Trump’s proposals before he greenlit the demolition of the East Wing.
Contractors involved in the ballroom project, including McCrery Architects, Clark Construction, and AECOM, allegedly circumvented the standard government bidding process. Instead, Trump “personally handpicked each contractor” and supervised the conditions of each contract, including compensation, according to sources.
Despite assuring the public in July that the ballroom wouldn’t affect the current structure, particularly the historic East Wing, which had previously housed the first lady’s office, he had already authorized plans to demolish the East Wing to make room for the new ballroom, as reported by the New York Times.
McCrery Architects began developing initial designs for the project, envisioning a venue with towering ceilings and arched windows that evoke the grandeur of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors.
The design integrated state-of-the-art security features, such as bulletproof glass, and included gold furnishings, a signature preference of the president, in the renderings. Trump has recognized the criticism that his ballroom designs were excessively lavish, according to the outlet.
He assured a group of project donors last month that he didn’t want the new ballroom to “dwarf anything.” During the same event, while presenting plans to build a Triumphal Arch, Mr. Trump offered three size options: small, medium, and large. “I happen to think the large looks by far the best,” Trump stated.
The White House has insisted that the new ballroom’s $400 million price tag will be “privately funded” by Trump’s billionaire associates.
