Most Americans Say ‘No’ to Trump’s White House Demolition Plans
A new survey shows that most Americans disapprove of President Trump’s proposal to tear down part of the White House’s East Wing to make room for a $250 million ballroom.
According to a YouGov America poll released Wednesday, 53 percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat disapprove “of the decision to demolish part of the East Wing of the White House as part of the renovations.” Only 24 percent said they approve of the move, and another 24 percent were unsure.
The poll also asked about the broader “plans to renovate and build additions to the White House, including a new ballroom and a patio in the Rose Garden.” Half of respondents said they disapprove of the overall renovation, while 33 percent support it and 17 percent remain undecided.
The survey was conducted Tuesday, just one day after construction began on the ballroom project, which quickly sparked widespread backlash online. Viral photos prompted Democrats to accuse the president of “destroying” part of the historic building.
Among Democrats surveyed, 77 percent said they opposed both the renovation and demolition plans. Fourteen percent supported the renovation, and 9 percent said they were unsure. When asked specifically about the demolition, 10 percent of Democrats approved and 13 percent said they were uncertain.
Trump defended the project on Wednesday, saying, “in order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure.” He initially claimed the new ballroom would not “interfere with the current building,” but said discussions with architects led to the decision to remove the East Wing.
“It was never thought of as being much,” Trump said of the East Wing. “It was a very small building.”
Republicans were more divided. A 45 percent plurality supported demolishing the East Wing, while 28 percent disapproved and 27 percent were unsure. Broader renovation plans received higher backing among Republicans — 63 percent approved, 18 percent disapproved, and 19 percent were uncertain.
Independents, meanwhile, leaned closer to Democrats’ views. A majority opposed both the renovation and the East Wing demolition, at 55 percent and 54 percent respectively. Only 22 percent of independents approved of the renovation, while 23 percent were unsure; 16 percent backed the demolition, and 30 percent said they were not sure.
The poll, conducted on Oct. 21, surveyed 2,038 U.S. adults and carries a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
