The White House Ballroom

Trump demolished the historic East Wing without prior congressional approval and acted as if the White House was a failing casino bearing his name. The government claims Trump is more than just a “tenant,” which is true in a misleading sense. He is neither the tenant nor the owner, but rather a temporary caretaker of a building that belongs to the American people. The presidency isn’t a deed, the Constitution isn’t a building permit, and Congress isn’t some pesky zoning board to be ignored until the gold trim arrives. Lower courts indicated that congressional approval was required, which only matters if one believes Trump’s wishes automatically become federal law. Trump, his solicitor general, and now the Supreme Court seem to accept this, with Chief Justice John Roberts provisionally giving the green light. The most telling part of this farce is how the ballroom transformed from a prestigious project into a fortified military complex.

While Americans struggle with affordability, food insecurity rises, and civil rights are threatened, the elites are lauding a true vanity project. There has always been something about the culture of wealth that assumes if you have money or power, you can do just about anything you want. Vanity projects like this are symptomatic of how out of touch those in government are with the realities Americans face. Trump and his ilk cleverly convince the public that such a project is vital. This makes as much sense as telling a starving person that opening a five-star restaurant will benefit the economy. Many Americans are gullible and plain stupid (there I said it!). Trump convinces them it is a bunker for safety and security. He has been trying to salvage his metastasizing White House ballroom project by insisting it isn’t just a ballroom – it’s a critical national security project, complete with bomb shelters, drone defenses and a “military complex.” There’s just one rather enormous problem: The White House already has a massive, nuclear-hardened bunker buried more than 60 feet underground.

The truth belies his message. Anyone with a scintilla of brain cells immediately recognizes it is about a space to entertain the wealthy and raise more money to line his already deep pockets.

Many of us still care about justice and fairness. In the end, if we don’t remain vigilant and speak up, we will be enslaved to the whims of the elite, who want only your blessings while they empty your wallet and expect you to thank them for considering your taxpayer contribution to their vanity projects!