00:00Michelle Obama slams demolition of White House's East Wing.
00:04I felt confusion.
00:06Michelle Obama voiced strong opinions about the decision to demolish the White House's East Wing in October,
00:12which was formerly home to the office of the First Lady.
00:15It's not about me. It's about us and our traditions and what they stand for,
00:19Obama, 61, said during an appearance on the Jamie Kern Lima show on Tuesday, November 25th,
00:26when asked about the structure's demolition.
00:28I think in my body, I felt confusion because I'm like,
00:32well, who are we? What do we value? And who decides that?
00:35That's the thing that's going through my head a lot lately.
00:38The mother of two served as the First Lady during her husband, Barack Obama's two terms as president from 2008 to 2016.
00:46Michelle was perplexed by the decision, adding that she has become confused by modern day norms and morals.
00:53That's the part of it that hurts. It's not the House. It's who.
00:56I'm just trying to understand the assignment, she recalled.
01:00And so I think I felt a loss for us as a nation.
01:03Donald Trump announced in July that the East Wing, which houses the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden and more,
01:09would be removed and replaced with a $300 million ballroom.
01:12The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world.
01:17Yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries
01:22without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance.
01:28A July press release on the White House website reads,
01:32The White House state ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space
01:41with a seated capacity of 650 people, a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.
01:50The four-year project began on October 20, with demolition concluding in only three days.
01:55The ballroom is expected to be completed before Trump's term ends in 2029.
02:01Hillary Clinton was also vocal about her opposition to demolishing the historical building,
02:06slamming the decision in a passionate post on social media.
02:10It's not his house, it's your house, and he's destroying it.
02:14Hillary, 77, who served as the first lady from 1993 to 2001,
02:19alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton, wrote via X in October.
Be the first to comment