Donald Trump. (Photo: White House)
US President Donald Trump lost his temper when a reporter questioned him about the demolition of the White House’s East Wing. The incident happened during a live press briefing at the White House, when Reuters correspondent Jeff Mason asked Trump to respond to critics who said he had “not been transparent enough” about tearing down the historic section to make way for a new ballroom.
Trump reacted angrily, calling Mason a “third-rate reporter” and defending his transparency. “I haven’t been transparent? Really?” he said, showing mockup pictures of the golden ballroom under construction. “I’ve shown this to everybody that would listen. Third-rate reporters didn’t see it because they didn’t look. You’re a third-rate reporter, always have been.” Mason could be faintly heard trying to speak in the background.
The president emphasised that the project had received “great reviews” and insisted that anyone who asked had access to the plans. He said the decision to demolish the East Wing came after consultations with top architects and a “tremendous amount of study.” Trump explained that completely knocking down the structure was necessary to build the new $300 million ballroom. He added that little of the original 1902 East Wing remained and some of its recent renovations “were not particularly nice.”
The comments followed a lighter moment a day earlier, when Trump joked about construction noise from the ongoing renovation. “Ooh, that’s music to my ears. I love that sound,” he said, calling it “the beautiful sound of construction” that “reminded me of money.”
According to US media reports, the East Wing demolition could be completed as early as this weekend. ABC News reported seeing multiple construction trucks entering and leaving the area on Wednesday, highlighting the scale of the work. The renovations appear to be far more extensive than Trump had previously indicated, fueling criticism from some observers who expected only partial changes to the historic structure.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
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