White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt presented several photographs of past construction at the White House on Thursday as a reporter attempted to grill her on the temporary demolition of the East Wing.
While the White House has come under scrutiny over the ballroom construction, CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang suggested that President Donald Trump believes he can “tear down whatever he wants” without oversight at the White House. Leavitt pointed to several instances throughout history when the White House had been under construction, including when the West Wing was built in 1902 and renovations to the interior in 1950.
“So it sounds like the answer is yes, he can tear down whatever he wants,” Jiang said.
“I mean, that’s not what we’re saying. That’s a legal opinion that’s been held for many years,” Leavitt said. “No, it’s something that presidents have done for years and years. In fact, I have some photos here to show you the construction that’s taken place on the White House grounds. This is the construction of the West Wing in 1902. Look at this, the construction of the West Terrace in 1902. These images look quite similar to what you and the American people are seeing today. The construction of the East Terrace as well.”
“Look at the construction of the West Wing expansion in 1934. So look, this is a legal opinion that’s been held for many years. Look, this is 1950,” Leavitt continued.
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After viewing the photographs, Jiang continued pressing Leavitt on whether Trump can tear down whatever he wants.
“What do you think that rubble is? How did that rubble get there?” Leavitt said, pointing to a photo of the construction from 1950.
Presidents have been renovating and building new additions to the White House for over a century. In 1902, former President Theodore Roosevelt built the West Wing and made major renovations to the East Room, the State Dining Room, and the Entrance Hall. In 1909, former President William Howard Taft added the first Oval Office during the expansion of the West Wing, according to the White House’s Rapid Response team.
Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt added a second floor to the West Wing in 1933 and relocated the Oval Office to its current spot a year later. As the White House faced severe structural damages, former President Harry S. Truman gutted the inside of the building completely, preserving only the exterior walls.
In 1973, former President Richard Nixon oversaw the construction of the James S. Brady Briefing Room above the indoor swimming pool and added a bowling alley to the basement. In 2009, former President Barack Obama turned the tennis court into a basketball court.
High-profile Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have all accused Trump of abusing his power and treating the People’s House as his own property.
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