1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I’m writing to express my disgust at the work the president is doing on the White House, without proper authorization. This house belongs to the American people, but he continues to alter it – almost as if he intends to be there for a long time. First the gold leaf in the Oval Office, which is a waste of money and looks more like the palace of a Russian czar. Now, the demolition of the East Wing. He has bypassed all steps to get what he wants, as per his usual tactics. Here’s how the process is supposed to work: 1. Initial Proposal: The White House is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) but used by the Executive Office of the President (EOP). Any proposed change, even by a sitting president, begins internally through the Office of the Curator and the White House Facilities Management Division. 2. Historic Review: The NPS, as custodian of the White House under the Presidential Residence Act and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), must review all alterations for compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA. This requires assessing potential impacts on historic and cultural resources in consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the D.C. State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). 3. Planning & Environmental Oversight: The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) evaluates all major federal projects in the National Capital Region, including work on the White House grounds, for design, planning, and environmental impacts under NEPA (the National Environmental Policy Act). Public comment and design reviews are part of that process. 4. Aesthetic Review: The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) reviews and advises on the design and appearance of any exterior modifications to the White House or its grounds. 5. Final Authorization: After approvals from NPS, NCPC, and CFA, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the White House Chief Usher / Facilities Management Office finalize funding, scheduling, and logistics. Only after completing this full process could any major construction or demolition legally begin. Yet Trump ignored every step, acting unilaterally through executive order, bypassing oversight, and ordering demolition. The result: the people’s house, altered without the people’s consent. Enough is enough. For someone that wants to save government money, he sure spends a lot of it. Please act to put a stop to this irresponsible damage to a national treasure, which belongs to no one individual.