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Demolition President
by William Kristol
In October 1943, the British Parliament debated the rebuilding of the House of Commons, which had been destroyed a couple of years before in the Blitz. Against others who favored using a more modern, semicircular design—more like that of many other parliaments—Prime Minister Winston Churchill made the case for preserving the original shape of the Commons.
Part of Churchill’s argument was simply the case for honoring tradition. But Churchill also argued that the original, rectangular layout of the House, with benches facing each other in close proximity, encouraged vigorous and direct debate between the parties. And he claimed that the small size of the House, with not enough seats for every member, created a sense of intimacy and urgency for the discussion, especially during important moments.
How much did all this matter? Well, as Churchill said: “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”
Eighty-two years later, the president of the United States is reshaping the White House. In July, Donald Trump announced he wanted to add a 90,000-square-foot ballroom to the existing building. The ballroom would dwarf the 55,000 square feet footprint of the main part of the White House. Still, Trump assured one and all, “It won’t interfere with the current building. It’ll be near it but not touching it—and pays total respect to the existing building.”
It turns out Trump was lying. Shocking, I know. Yesterday, construction workers began the demolition of part of the East Wing in order to build a new, Mar-a-Lago-like ballroom.
Trump hasn’t gotten approval for this project from the National Capital Planning Commission, which regulates the construction of federal buildings. The Trump-appointed head of the commission, Will Scharf—who, conveniently, is also the White House staff secretary—said during the only public meeting about the matter that the board has no jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation.
While Trump is proud of his new ballroom, others in the administration seem touchy. The Wall Street Journal reported last night that the Treasury Department instructed employees not to share images of the demolition, after photos of construction equipment dismantling the front of the building made their way online.
It’s unclear what legal authority the Treasury Office of Public Affairs has to tell employees what photos they can take during their lunch break. But why would that matter to the Trump administration?
In any case, Trump—aided and abetted by all the corporations and wealthy donors who have contributed money to his project—will presumably be able to do as he pleases. And perhaps it’s foolish to object. If we’re going to transition under Trump’s rule from a (mostly) dignified democratic republic to an ostentatious oligarchic autocracy, our buildings should reflect and reinforce that progress. After all, we shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.
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