1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

Trump has already removed the iconic White House Rose Garden and replaced it with a sterile plaza of interlocking concrete paver stones featured prominently in driveways across America. Now he is proposing the construction of a $200 million ballroom at the White House—a feature appropriate for a convention hotel or a European palace, but not “the People’s House” in America. Worse, the ballroom will be larger than the existing White House! This will radically change a building that is instantly identifiable as a symbol of America. Instead of symbolizing stability and strength, the White House will reflect opulence and entertainment—a slap in the face of the Constitution and hardworking American people. Congress must stop him. No president should have the authority to change a national landmark to assuage personal feelings of insecurity and deficiency.