Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 10 hours ago
Transcript
00:00Bill Maher says Trump is not leaving the White House.
00:04Comedian and political commentator Bill Maher has sparked debate
00:07after declaring that President Donald Trump's demolition of the White House East Wing
00:11is symbolic proof that he's not leaving.
00:14Maher calls out Trump.
00:16On Real Time with Bill Maher, the HBO host discussed the sweeping renovations
00:20with former RNC chair Michael Steele and ex-Biden communications director Kate Bedingfield.
00:26The symbolism is he's not leaving, Maher said.
00:30Who puts in a giant ballroom if you're leaving?
00:33The East Wing.
00:34The East Wing, once home to lavish receptions and state events,
00:38was demolished to make room for a sprawling 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
00:43Surfaced photos showed construction equipment tearing into the century-old structure,
00:47one of the most historic parts of the White House complex.
00:50Trump has claimed the nearly $300 million project is funded out of his own private pockets,
00:55as well as through contributions from many generous patriots
00:58and several major corporations including Apple, Google, Lockheed Martin, and T-Mobile.
01:04Maher's panel discussion.
01:06During the panel, Steele called the sight of heavy machinery tearing through the White House
01:10a fitting metaphor for Trump's presidency.
01:14We watched this week the destruction of a symbol of government,
01:17of our democracy, of our pluralistic society, Steele said.
01:20Steele went on to condemn Trump for
01:22destroying the East Wing without accountability,
01:25a sentiment Maher partially agreed with.
01:28You know, he should have gotten the permits, but that's how he does things.
01:32But it is just a building, first of all, he said.
01:35East Wing overhaul
01:36Nixon put in a bowling alley.
01:39Obama made the tennis court a basketball court, he said, adding,
01:42I can't get this mad about everything, Mike.
01:45I just can't.
01:46Priya Jain, chair of the Society of Architectural Historians Heritage Conservation Committee,
01:51told NPR the East Wing overhaul is the largest White House renovation since the 1940s.
01:57Bedingfield closed the debate by arguing that Trump's actions go far beyond aesthetics.
02:02It's part of a manner of governing that is tearing at some of the foundations,
02:05and that's scary, she said.
02:07Bye.
02:07Bye.
02:07Bye.
02:07Bye.
Be the first to comment
Add your comment

Recommended