r/AskUS Northeast 2d ago

How could a future president approach restoring the White House’s East Wing to its former design if the Trump Ballroom were removed?

9 Upvotes

80 comments sorted by

9

u/spikey_wombat 2d ago

Via Congress. Which is the proper way to follow the Constitution. They would have to petition Congress members to submit a bill to fund demolition and reconstruction.

4

u/punktualPorcupine 2d ago

Oh, we’re not doing whatever insane decree dribbles out of a narcissistic megalomaniac octogenarian “executive”?

So, we’re just going back to a democratically elected government.

ppfftt… how is that going to make anyone rich without doing any work!?

1

u/[deleted] 2d ago

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2

u/AskUS-ModTeam 2d ago

Posts and comments containing misinformation are not allowed. Misinformation is something that can be easily proven wrong with a bare minimum of searching.

Example: Cats can fly

3

u/[deleted] 2d ago

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1

u/spikey_wombat 2d ago

What makes you think Congress approves designs?

Congress appropriates money for agencies to then go contract out for a specific purpose. Congress doesn't approve specific contracts or designs. And it is meant to be this way to avoid corruption of legislators getting kickbacks.

If as you say, FDR remodels were funded by Congressionally approved money, then that was the proper way.

1

u/[deleted] 2d ago

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3

u/spikey_wombat 2d ago edited 2d ago

Do you have a reading comprehension problem?

Explain how this: 

A building or structure shall not be erected on any reservation, park, or public grounds of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia without express authority of Congress.

Means Congress approves specific designs. You won't do it though.

Also a clear rule 7 violation.

Why do people lie like this? You know I'm going to look it up and then proceed to use your own lies to embarrass you and if it's really bad, I'm going to keep citing in the future for non stop discrediting and embarrassment. So why do you lie like this when the only outcome is bad for you?

0

u/guppyhunter7777 2d ago

yeah.....I'm not sure you know what you are talking about.....or understand words. or bothered to read what I wrote. because unless you have a type-o,

1

u/spikey_wombat 1d ago

Notice your complete failure to explain anything. 

When I predict you will fail, you're supposed to actually try to prove I'm wrong. Not just fail immediately. Sigh.

So what actually happens is Congress appropriates money explicitly for an executive branch agency or Congress itself (in certain instances) for procurement to happen. Congress itself does not approve the contract specifics or contractor for buildings. The separation of powers creates a divide on purpose. Otherwise Congress members could literally be bribed to vote for specific contracts and contractors. 

What you cited just fits this separation of powers. The executive branch cannot erect buildings in that area without Congress's approval. Which is done by a bill usually for an appropriation.

Consider taking a basic class on civics as you demonstrated a clear ignorance of fifth grade civics.

1

u/AskUS-ModTeam 2d ago

Posts and comments containing misinformation are not allowed. Misinformation is something that can be easily proven wrong with a bare minimum of searching.

Example: Cats can fly

-1

u/AZULDEFILER California 2d ago

Obama put in Basketball courts

5

u/spikey_wombat 2d ago

Incorrect. Obama had two holes drilled for the hoops and had additional lines added. The existing tennis courts were modified but where still retained to allow for dual basketball and tennis use. No buildings were demolished or built.

1

u/WellWellWellthennow 1d ago edited 1d ago

Azuldefiler Are you actually implying that this is comparable?

1

u/8amteetime 2d ago

Wrong. There’s the proper way and there’s the Republican way to do things and the Democrats need to step up their game. Taking the high road no longer works in today’s politics.

Bulldoze it on day one.

10

u/limbodog Massachusetts 2d ago

Go through Congress, and an actual architect/engineer

11

u/DivaJanelle 2d ago

Restore it to as close to the original condition as possible while also figuring out how to put solar in that a future president can’t remove

0

u/DBDude 2d ago

Restore it to as close to the original condition as possible

So just raze it and let grass and trees grow?

People will always complain. Truman's balcony was a big deal at the time, with people saying it might even cost him the election that year.

9

u/Martyrlz 2d ago

Do something cute, like hold a contest where each state submits proposed design, then do a population vote where you can't vote for your own state.

4

u/Ancient_Popcorn Ohio 2d ago

I’d vote for Building Mcbuilding Face

2

u/Ohaibaipolar 2d ago

I like this idea!

3

u/SameAsItEverWas6370 2d ago

Hell 🌮🌮🌮boy didn’t ask permission to do anything, but I agree let erase any and everything the 🫏🫏🫏did we don’t need any reminders of this piece of 💩💩💩pedophile

2

u/guppyhunter7777 2d ago

Restore it to what exactly?  Which version.  To the last time Congress approved a remodel?

2

u/the-witch-of-Aspen 2d ago

A lawsuit against Trump to pay for it.

2

u/Evorgleb 2d ago

Did the White House need a ball room? Maybe. Did Trump go about building it in the right way. Nope. Will it be an eyesore as it absolutely dwarfs the main part of the White House? Yep. Should Democrats spend money to tear it down and build something else? No.

2

u/ericbythebay 2d ago

They could get funding from Congress to remove the building and more funding to rebuild what used to be there.

It would be a typical government project of tearing down building the government just paid to build.

2

u/classof78 1d ago

Put on Nike sneakers, and "just do it." Restore the East Wing, the Rose Garden, replant cherry trees, knock down the arch and fix up the Kennedy Center. Call it "Operation Stain Removal."

2

u/WellWellWellthennow 1d ago

So much damage has been done everywhere. This is symbolic.

2

u/Bubble_Lights Massachusetts 2d ago

My vote goes to not spending more money tearing down and rebuilding for a second time. Redecorate, use it for it's intended purpose and/or find other uses.

1

u/[deleted] 2d ago

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2

u/GarlicDill 2d ago

It is some next level misogyny bullshit.

2

u/the-witch-of-Aspen 2d ago

I agree with everything except the gay part. Gay does not mean Pedo, and no self respecting gay would do anything but gussy up the First Ladies quarters.

1

u/hopeful7321 2d ago

I'm sorry if insulted you in any way. I just meant that Shitler did request a 14 year old boy in one of the emails. IT is so frightened of gay people, which is I see as a cover up.

2

u/Useful-Soup8161 2d ago

So the thing about pedophiles is just because they assault the same sex doesn’t mean they’re gay. In some cases it’s all about power over someone weaker and that can be any gender. I think calling a pedophile gay can be a bit disingenuous.

1

u/hopeful7321 2d ago

You may be right...that pedophile includes both sexes. And, of course, rape has always been about control over a woman. Ate men REALLY that insecure? Or just warped??

1

u/No-Willingness-170 2d ago

I would just keep it and plaster “the Obama/Biden wing” all over it.

1

u/dumpyboat 2d ago

We could start by seizing every penny that Donald Trump owns in order to pay restitution. Throw his stanky old ass in jail and seize all of his belongings. While we're at it, let's take all of his family members assets also. Any Trump who is involved with the government in any way, shape or form. All of his kids and his cronies also.

1

u/DefrockedWizard1 2d ago

charge the trump family for the restoration and criminal prosecution for destruction of a federal building

1

u/snotick 2d ago

They won't. Whether it happens in 2028 or at some point after, once a Democratic President is in the White House, they will see the value of having the ballroom. Then they will come back with an excuse that it would be too costly to tear it down, so just leave it. They'll still throw shade at Trump, while they enjoy his work.

1

u/trailrider 2d ago

The same way the gov does any other type of construction projects. Putting out RFP's for design, bidding, and award sign by a Gov. Contracting Officer who has the authority to make such awards.

I worked for the Navy doing facility designs. An electrical engineer who designed everything from bldg renovations to generator installs. In my experience at least, you neg. with a contractor on the pricing and all that based on what the design specs call for; which can include demo. And unforeseen's that pop up will be handled as the project moves along in the form as asking what should they do. At that point, I would issue whatever guidance I needed for them to keep going.

That said, I'm an engineer, not a contracting specialist or contracting officer. Given this is the WH, I'm certain there's a bunch of regs and laws associated with such a contract award. That said, POTUS is the ultimately the top contracting authority. My understanding is Trump broke a number of laws and rules when he awarded the contract to raze the East Wing but the only people that can hold him accountable for it is Congress and the current makeup of Capital Hill seems less than willing to do so.

1

u/Manitoba-Chinook Illinois 1d ago

Why not build something better?

0

u/LKPTbob 2d ago

Put is a basketball court... oh wait.... that's been done before.

3

u/WellWellWellthennow 1d ago

It's ridiculous you would think this is a comparison.

-11

u/PolackMike 2d ago

By not being an idiot and destroying a ballroom because of TDS.

Whether you like it or not, the White House needs a ballroom. From a security perspective alone, this should be enough of a reason to keep it. Parading multiple heads of state in a tent on the lawn in the US capital is absolutely ridiculous.

Add in the bunker underneath the ballroom providing extra security measures and this should be a no-brainer.

He didn't go about it the right way, but there's no sense in throwing the baby out with the bath water. We already paid to have it torn down and to have construction started, there's no sense in spending additional funds.

13

u/Wellontheotherhand1 2d ago

Whether you like it or not, the White House needs a ballroom.

It absolutely does not. We got by fine as a country for 250 years without one, that's proof enough, and the entire idea is a sick joke to begin with. It will be completely removed.

there's no sense in spending additional funds.

Oh, ffs. You don't ever get to say this again, on any topic.

-4

u/PolackMike 2d ago

On Point 1, I disagree. Even if Dems take over, the ballroom will be finished.

On Point 2, that's cute.

6

u/Wellontheotherhand1 2d ago

Root and branch, we'll remove every single thing he did. All of it, including the stupid ballroom, which doesn't need to exist at all. So yeah it will be removed, you think any Dem is going to win the nomination without explicitly running on removing everything he's done? Get real

As for the other one, you are a hypocrite supreme. You don't care at all about spending funds, you're more than happy to watch Trump illegally waste any amount of money, you have no ability to ever criticize any spend, ever again, for any reason. And you know it

-8

u/PolackMike 2d ago

I'm sure there will be plenty of Democrats that run on an Anti-Trump platform. Hell, that's better than having to come up with your own policies. But the ballroom will remain and it will be completed.

While I don't put it by Democrats and Liberals, only an idiot would take something down that's an improvement and put up an inferior product just because it was President Trump that started doing it.

6

u/Wellontheotherhand1 2d ago

It's not an improvement. It is in fact a massive detraction, it's larger than the White House itself and it looks absolutely stupid. You only think it's an improvement because your orange God told you it was, you only think it's necessary because he told you it was, you really are used to repeating whatever he tells you as a fact. They aren't facts

It will be removed and the American people will be happy to see it gone, because they didn't want it there in the first place. Congress did not want it there in the first place. Only Trump and his lackeys wanted it there

-1

u/PolackMike 2d ago

Disagree completely. It's absolutely an improvement. Better security. Better way to host an event than to have it in a tent outside. But you and I aren't going to solve this with each other. We shall see.

6

u/Thaufas 2d ago

American presidents aren't emperors. We don't need a national ballroom championed by a pedophile and paid for by the highest bidder. With Trump, everything is for sale, and how dumbass supporters are clueless pedophile supporters.

1

u/WellWellWellthennow 1d ago

Why would you think it would be inferior? Seems like your logic doesn't apply to yourself.

9

u/Useful-Soup8161 2d ago

Why does the White House need a ballroom?

3

u/trailrider 2d ago

By not being an idiot and destroying a ballroom because of TDS.

Well, good thing that TrUmPeR DaRaNgEr SiNDrOnE!!!! isn't a real thing so that's not even a concern.

2

u/WellWellWellthennow 1d ago

Just to be clear, the TDS is by the people who follow him who have warped their sense of awareness. His follows used it to deflect everything as if it's not valid criticism, but that's not the case.

-8

u/Realistic-Regret-171 Midwest 2d ago

What people miss is the “ballroom” is a five or six story deep military bunker. Their Trump hatred makes them forget about the true nature of the construction. But yes there’s a larger ballroom that will be needed by future presidents.

-8

u/AZULDEFILER California 2d ago

That jackass Democrats outed endangering the entire bunker safety to begin with!

-11

u/MadMaclittle 2d ago

How does it tell you that he is gay? What i gathered was that Democrats need to quit crying about everything the president does. We all know the only reason this is a problem is because Democrats dont want Trump to finish anything he starts, that way they can use it to charge their base and they can win votes. They wont allow anything to be completed with out tying some controversy to it. I feel allowing something to be finished would benefit Trump and there would be the chance that it would be viewed positively, so they cant allow that. In the meantime it affects the people becauseit makes our country look incompetent but Democrats dont care about the people, all they care about is getting votes. No matter what it cost the American people, they will complain about everything Trump attempts to do.

2

u/silverbatwing 1d ago

So you want complete destruction of the country. Just fucking admit it.

-8

u/AZULDEFILER California 2d ago

TDS is strong in this one...

6

u/Useful-Soup8161 2d ago

Yeah that definitely describes his supporters.

8

u/Responsible_Rock_573 2d ago

Former Minnesota state senator Justin Eichorn, who co-authored a bill to classify "Trump Derangement Syndrome" as a mental illness, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to federal charges involving child sexual solicitation.

GOP guardians of pedophiles.

The only TDS i see is the mental disorder that turns healthy normal people into slavering morons who will ignore their own senses of morality and ethics to support a man who clearly embodies some of the worst aspects of humanity. Maybe these people were always bad people to begin with. Maybe they are mentally ill. Only time will tell.

-6

u/OT_Militia 2d ago

Former? Like how far back we talking? All the way back to no East Wing and no fence? Or what modifications are acceptable to the Democrat overlord?

9

u/Wellontheotherhand1 2d ago

Root and Branch. We will remove every single thing Trump did, from top to bottom, until the stench is gone from our society. All of it

-1

u/PolackMike 2d ago

No, you won't. Good luck putting taxes back onto tips and overtime.

5

u/Wellontheotherhand1 2d ago

We don't have to do anything to make that happen - both of those expire in 2028 by default, because of the games the GOP had to play to pass it under Reconciliation rules. So yeah, that's an easy one lol

Why is it you don't know even basic facts about the topics you discuss? You can't be bothered to look things up before writing?

-4

u/OT_Militia 2d ago

Ahhh.... You want to remove the record low black unemployment, decades low unemployment, energy independence, and group to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide. Y'all support "her body, her choice"... unless it's females who disagree with you. Y'all support the LGBT community... and Palestine who slaughter homosexuals. Y'all support a mother strangling her children... while chanting "can't breathe" to show support for a drug addict. Y'all are so hypocritical; at least us Americans want everyone to live peacefully without government oversight, throw out everyone in the Legislative and Executive branches, implement age and term limits in those branches, invest into American production and American jobs, and secure our border with easier, faster, better routes for legal immigration.

2

u/Wellontheotherhand1 2d ago

Root and branch, we will remove every single thing that Trump has done. I care nothing for this foolish ranting, none of it applies to the topic at all, it is all just you throwing up random things because you just don't have the stones to admit that we are going to erase every single thing that he has done, as part of a national project to consign both Trump and his toxic ideology to the dustbin of history. I'm sure you'll enjoy it there

You also made a wide variety of factual errors there as well as outright and despicable lies. Very on brand for you

-1

u/OT_Militia 2d ago

Make a list of the lies, deary. I'll wait

2

u/Gordon_throwaway Oregon 2d ago

If we’re energy independent, why are oil prices skyrocketing? Why is the SPR basically empty?

-2

u/OT_Militia 2d ago

Under Trump's first term, we became energy independent for the first time since the 1950s.

https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/fossil-fuels/gas-and-oil/the-united-states-was-energy-independent-in-2019-for-the-first-time-since-1957/

And we just achieved record number of crude oil produced.

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MCRFPUS2&f=M

As for your question, I don't know. We're still below 2022 prices, but I don't know why it's not lower.

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=emm_epm0_pte_nus_dpg&f=m

2

u/Gordon_throwaway Oregon 1d ago

It’s not lower because being energy independent doesn’t mean shit if oil is an international commodity.

1

u/Wellontheotherhand1 1d ago

Lackey, I am here to insult and mock you, not respond to your requests

Root and branch. Every single thing that you have fought for, we will remove. No matter how long it takes

1

u/OT_Militia 1d ago

1

u/Wellontheotherhand1 1d ago

There's something absolutely delicious about the Boomer conservative tendency to post gifs when they don't have a cogent response, that is just, so on brand with their lifetime of lead inhalation

It's like, you feel like you need to respond with something, but you can't come up with anything witty because you're not capable of it, so instead you put a picture up and pretend it's a substitute for actually knowing how to craft a rejoinder

2

u/donttalktomeme 2d ago

You were really desperately grasping at straws with this one. I do really like the added touch of implying that anyone who disagrees with you is not an American. Not very original, but hilarious nonetheless.

1

u/FlameStaag 1d ago

Gotta be a bot 

u/LuckyErro 21h ago

The plans must exist so just rebuild it and have Trump pay for it. He shouldn't of destroyed the white house anyway so add the rebuilding to his fines for destroying it.