From Jefferson to Trump: Why this renovation may be different

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00:00You spoke and we listened. Every week we pull your best comments and questions from our YouTube

00:10community. And this week, one topic towered above the rest. This is Straight From You,

00:16where your curiosity drives the conversation. We break down fact from fiction, minus the spin.

00:22This week, the one topic that stood out above the rest, the demolition at the White House.

00:27This viewer asked, many presidents have renovated the White House. Why is that a bad thing?

00:33A lot of you have strong feelings about this, so let's dig in.

00:36First on the plans. No comprehensive plans have been made public. Construction is already underway

00:43without a formal sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission. The commission's

00:47Trump-appointed chair says its authority applies to rebuilding, not demolition. That's according

00:53to PBS and the AP. Renderings released by the White House show a ballroom inspired by Mar-a-Lago.

01:00But President Trump insists it will pay total respect to the existing structure. Until plans

01:05are filed, no one really knows how connected or how intrusive the addition will be. Now,

01:11why the backlash? History shows renovations have rarely been controversy-free. The White House

01:17Historical Association notes, Thomas Jefferson's East and West colonnades drew criticism for

01:23aristocratic optics. Andrew Jackson's North Portico triggered cost complaints during an economic

01:30downturn. The price tag? About $850,000. Teddy Roosevelt's 1902 overhaul that created the West

01:38Wing upset some lawmakers over the expense and the loss of conservatories. Franklin D. Roosevelt added the

01:45East Wing and an indoor pool amid partisan pushback. And Harry Truman's 1948 to 1952 renovation,

01:53rebuilding the interior walls behind the original walls, was fiercely debated at the time. But this

01:59current project stands out for its scale, speed, secrecy, and funding. The new ballroom is 90,000

02:06square feet, big enough for nearly a thousand guests. A former chief historian for the White House

02:11Historical Association told The Hill there's never been anything like that before. ABC News adds that

02:18this is the first major construction on the grounds in nearly 80 years. On money, the White House says

02:24private donors will foot the bill, not taxpayers. Estimates are now up to $300 million. One report says

02:31$22 million of that comes from a YouTube settlement tied to a Trump lawsuit. Late yesterday, the White House

02:37released a full list of donors, including Amazon, Apple, Coinbase, Comcast, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and T-Mobile.