The hosts of The View voiced strong criticism this week over the “tacky, nasty, and gaudy” renovations at the White House, following the start of construction on President Donald Trump’s new $250 million ballroom.
On Monday, crews began partially demolishing the East Wing to make room for the expansion—despite Trump’s earlier assurances that the privately funded venue would be a separate building, leaving the historic landmark untouched.
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“That is not your building. You don’t own that building!” Whoopi Goldberg said Tuesday during ABC’s daytime talk show.
“That would be like me going over to Trump Tower and saying, ‘I’m gonna build a disco!’ They wanted to just own Trump Tower for hundreds of years! I mean, come on, you don’t own that building. That is the people’s building. You don’t own it!”
Goldberg’s co-hosts quickly joined in the criticism. Joy Behar called Trump a “one-man wrecking ball,” highlighting the optics of a lavish remodel amid economic uncertainty.
A demolition crew began wrecking the East Wing of the White House on Monday to make space for President Donald Trump’s ballroom (REUTERS)
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“At the same time, people are losing their government jobs,” Behar said. “It’s a very bad look right now to be building and demolishing and all this gold, tacky crap that he loves.”
Sara Haines added, “A ballroom is a symbol of excess and opulence, and we’re living in a time where those optics just fly in the face of the reality most Americans are experiencing.”
Sunny Hostin also slammed the proposed design, which features golden chairs and chandeliers.
The ballroom will be able to hold 650 seated people (White House)
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“People are losing their healthcare and tax breaks to billionaires who are probably some of the private donors for this tacky, gaudy, nasty ballroom,” Hostin said. “It’s tacky! See! It looks like Mar-a-Lago, which is tacky.”
Alyssa Farrah Griffin, a co-host and former Trump aide, noted that while presidents “technically have the authority” to alter the White House, renovations typically require approval from a presidential planning commission. She admitted, “I have fears that this might look more like a Florida country club than the White House as we know it.”
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