US President Donald Trump said last night that much of the East Wing of the White House will be demolished to make way for a ballroom that he has long desired, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
He confirmed that the demolition activities will last longer than initially expected. The US president assured that "after consulting with the best architects in the world", the best solution is the "complete demolition" of this wing, with only "some parts" will remain intact.
"This is going to be one of the greatest ballrooms in the world," he said, amid criticism from the opposition in the United States, sparked by photos of excavators demolishing parts of the walls of the historic building.
Democrats accused the Republican of disrespecting the presidential residence by demolishing the East Wing, which traditionally houses the first lady's offices. They also criticized the start of the $250 million project on Monday - at a time when the country's budget is still stalled and Americans are facing rising living costs.
During lunch on the White House lawn on Tuesday, Trump expressed satisfaction with the work underway. "You can probably hear the wonderful noise of construction behind us. Do you hear that noise? It's music to my ears. I love that noise," he said.
The 79-year-old real estate mogul assured that the project was not financed with taxpayer money. "When I hear that noise, it makes me think about money. In this case, it makes me think more about the lack of money, because I'm paying for it," he added.
The Republican billionaire previously explained that with "generous patriots and great companies" he would contribute to the financing of a new ballroom. Since returning to power, Donald Trump has worked to shape the White House according to his own ideas. The Oval Office, for example, was decorated with gold ornaments, and two huge pylons with large American flags were erected on the lawns.