1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

Americans are watching helplessly as President Trump demolishes the East Wing of the White House — the People’s House — in defiance of his own public promises, federal oversight, and basic respect for our shared national heritage. Just weeks ago, Trump assured Americans that his planned $250 million ballroom “wouldn’t touch” the existing White House. Now, bulldozers have ripped through the East Wing façade, tearing down offices that once housed first ladies, cultural archives, and the nation’s diplomatic reception rooms. There are no approved plans, no permits, no historic-preservation review, and no sign that priceless artworks or artifacts were protected before demolition began. Trump insists the new ballroom is “privately funded by me and some friends.” Those unnamed “friends” reportedly include corporate and defense-industry executives whose companies do business with the government — the very definition of a conflict of interest. This private financing makes the desecration worse, not better. The White House is not a private club or a campaign donor’s playground. It belongs to the American people. Historians and former officials from both parties have condemned the demolition as a “wrecking ball” moment — a perfect symbol of a presidency that prizes spectacle over service and self-glorification over stewardship. Hillary Clinton put it plainly: “It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.” Congress must act immediately. 1. Investigate the legality of this construction and determine whether the President violated the National Historic Preservation Act and the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act. 2. Freeze all ongoing demolition until proper oversight and independent review are complete. 3. Require full disclosure of all donors and companies funding this project. 4. Pass legislation declaring the White House a protected national monument — immune from privately funded alterations and political vanity projects. The destruction of the East Wing is not modernization; it is desecration. The American people deserve leaders who will defend their house, not demolish it.