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Good morning, Roca Nation. Here are today’s four need-to-know stories:
A drone manufacturer backed by Donald Trump Jr. secured its largest contract from the Pentagon
President Trump announced that the US terminated all trade negotiations with Canada
The US and China agreed on a framework for a potential trade deal (free)
French police arrested two suspects connected to the robbery at the Louvre Museum (free)
By Max Frost
“It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.”
-Hillary Clinton
“Every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc.… This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!”
-President Trump
President Trump has long called for a big, beautiful ballroom at the White House. As early as 2010, he pitched the idea to the Obama Administration. This July, he took action, announcing a gold-gilded structure with enough room for 650 people.
The current largest White House event space has room for 200 people. Larger events have to be held in tents on the lawn. Trump’s ballroom would change this, providing the executive with a grand venue for state dinners, large receptions, and events.
Trump initially said the space would be “substantially separated” from the primary White House facility, which would not be touched. But Trump changed his mind.
In the week up to October 23, without public warning, the entire East Wing was demolished. Trump also decided that the new facility would be connected to the main residence by a glass walkway and have enough room for 999 people. The new structure will contain both a revamped East Wing and ballroom with 90,000 sq ft – almost double the 55,000 sq ft size of the current White House.
The photos were, many would say, jarring.
Source: The Associated Press
As with everything in American politics, partisan lines quickly took shape.
On one side, Republicans like White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said, "President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail." Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of innately designed and carefully crafted space."
On the other, Democrats and a wide assortment of Trump critics said they were horrified.
As Hillary Clinton – who spent eight years living in the White House – said, “The government may be shut down, but Trump is still managing to get some work done in Washington – like illegally demolishing an entire wing of the White House to build himself a ballroom.”
Clinton proceeded to fundraise off the resulting anger, tweeting a link to purchase White House-themed merch.
“If you're hopping mad about Trump destroying the White House, we've got a new hat or sticker for you… Your purchase supports progressive groups working to build a fairer, more inclusive America for everyone – and win elections!” she tweeted.
But of course Republicans would defend the move. And of course Democrats would attack it. We wanted to know the facts: Was Trump’s ballroom project unprecedented? Did he get the proper permissions? Who’s paying for it, and how does it compare to past White House modifications? That’s the subject of today’s deep-dive.
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Editor’s Note
Are Trump’s East Wing demolition and construction plans merited, as Trump claims, or an attack on the White House, as his critics claim? Let us know by replying to this email.
Thanks for all the positive feedback in response to our story yesterday on YouTube journalism. Check it out here if you haven’t read it yet!
Catching up after the weekend? Find our latest below:
See you tomorrow,
Max and Max
