this post was submitted on 22 Oct 2025
260 points (98.9% liked)

Politics

945 readers
15 users here now

For civil discussion of US politics. Be excellent to each other.

Rule 1-3, 6 & 7 No longer applicable

Rule 4: Keep it civil. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a jerk. It’s not acceptable to say another user is a jerk. Cussing is fine.

Rule 5: Be excellent to each other. Posts or comments that are homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, ableist, will be removed.

The Epstein Files: Trump, Trafficking, and the Unraveling Cover-Up

Info Video about techniques used in cults (and politics)

Bookmark Vault of Trump's First Term

USAfacts.org

The Alt-Right Playbook

Media owners, CEOs and/or board members

Video: Macklemore's new song critical of Trump and Musk is facing heavy censorship across major platforms.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

On Tuesday, the White House told Reuters it intended to send plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, an agency that typically approves and monitors construction on federal buildings. Demolition began earlier this week, with reporters taking video of a backhoe ripping out chunks of the White House’s exterior.

Plans for Trump’s 90,000 sq ft ballroom were made public in the late summer, with Trump saying he would personally fund the $200m construction. “Just another way to spend my money for this construction,” he said at the time.

White House officials insist demolition is allowed without the commission’s approval. Will Scharf, the Trump-appointed head of the commission, who is also a White House staff secretary, said in September there was a difference between demolition and rebuilding work, and only the commission can approve new construction.

But in a letter sent to the White House on Tuesday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a leading historic preservation nonprofit created by Congress, told the White House that demolition plans were “legally required” to go through public review and urged Trump to pause demolition.

top 45 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 70 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I'm aiming a shit ton of laws were broken

like the destruction of historical buildings...

[–] northendtrooper@lemmy.ca 29 points 1 week ago (1 children)

A federal historical building. Its like the tenant said fuck it and decided to add some bullshit room to a historical house without the landowner's knowing.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Somehow, I don't really care, since this is the least he's done. He's torturing and murdering people every day through ICE and random boat attacks.

[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Totally, this is just a distraction for his war with Venezuela.

[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 7 points 1 week ago

And the E files

Yhea, just because it doesn't break the top 100 most illegal and evil shit he has done this year doesn't mean we shouldn't keep track.

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

He breaks tons of laws every day. He has his entire life. There’s no laws for the wealthy. I mean he rapes and traffics kids for god sake’s and we all know he has some treasonous shit going on with Putin and Netanyahu. This no accountability for the wealthy thing is why we’re watching everything that was great about America collapse before our eyes. What we’ve been left with is the worst merit less sludge America has to offer

[–] ceenote@lemmy.world 37 points 1 week ago

I need to start a betting pool on how long it takes them to put up a huge temporary enclosure so people can't see and take pictures of the demolition anymore.

[–] Xaphanos@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I guarantee that the construction will be handled by a company with foreign connections.

[–] BrokenGlepnir@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

A bunch of polish workers will be brought in who he won't pay.

[–] Xaphanos@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I was thinking of a bunch of Russians with mobster connections.

[–] Wytch@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

"Absolutely no listening devices, guaranteed!"

[–] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 23 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

the term that was "ask for forgiveness, not permission" has been transmogrified into "fuck you all, i'm a king"

[–] errer@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Maybe this ballroom is a ruse and they’re planning to demolish the whole building so they can just officially move the White House to Mar a lago. I mean Trump will never leave office again so might as well move it to his house….

I think the ballroom ruse isn't that, it's that he intends it to be a throne room

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago

Plenty of people wake up every morning and say "Death to America".

But credit where credit is due. Donald Trump is actually living this shit.

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] Albbi@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Someone once told Trump that you can't make gold paint and probably overcharged him a bunch on gold painted veneer. He said recently "... they've never found a paint that looks like gold."

[–] bus_factor@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

You mean tried to overcharge him. Can't get overcharged if you never pay your bills.

[–] Triumph@fedia.io 14 points 1 week ago

They have concepts of a plan.

[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 week ago

This pretty much sums up his entire 2nd term in office.

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Anyone care to guess as to the likelihood that this new ballroom will be torn down in the next decade ?

It's silly, and not born of logic or reasoning, but it's been very difficult to shake the hope that one day democracy will be re-established and most of the dumb things this administration has done can be wound back.

Logically I know that this isn't how things work, it's just a dream.

That said, I feel like this ball room is going to become a symbol of authoritarianism rather than democracy.

If, for example, Kamala Harris was elected in 2028 would she just announce they're going to tear down the Ball Room? I'd like that, but it just doesn't seem like a thing that would happen.

This guy is a stain on humankind and I desperately want his legacy to be scrubbed from the Earth but I have to keep reminding myself that's not going to happen.

[–] BlackXanthus@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I think it's more likely to just fall down.

If Trump is paying for it, as he claims, it means no-one is actually getting paid. He's been taken to court repeatedly for stuffing builders, (https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/282933-report-trump-has-refused-to-pay-hundreds-of-workers/) , which means stuff won't be finished, and he'll probably cut corners to save a buck or two.

If he thing is still standing in a decade, I'll be surprised. Even more if it's still usable.

My guess is if it stays, it will have to be continually repaired, and effectively rebuilt section by section once Trump leaves office.

[–] Zirconium@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Let's hope it collapses on its first party

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago

Mid-event, if we're wishing on stars.

[–] BlackXanthus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Like some kind of submersible vanity project to visit the Titanic.

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week ago

Well, he doesn't pay contractors when it's his own money, but not sure if that will apply when it's someone elses money.

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

We had the chance to throw him in prison. The do nothing facist light capitulating dems failed us and we failed to hold them accountable.

[–] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

If, for example, Kamala Harris was elected in 2028

Oh you sweet summer child

[–] blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You can't polish a turd

...but you can roll it in gold leaf

[–] JoeBigelow@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago

Or you can just eat the gold and poop shiny flecks

[–] Iheartcheese@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oh my god if this all fucking falls apart....

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Maybe it'll collapse during some billionaire party that he hosts. A nice hard reset.

[–] D_C@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago

The obese useless cunt is almost dead and he knows it. So he wants to be remembered, it doesn't matter to him how he is remembered, as long as he is.

And this is his way of being remembered. He knows that future democrat presidents (ha, if that ever happens again) won't have the balls to rip this monstrosity down. And he knows that future republican presidents are going to be as corrupt as he is, so they won't want to rip it down.

Well done, americans, he is no longer just an embarrassing shitstain footnote in your history books.
Nope, there's literally going to be a gaudy, classless, cheaply adorned monument to him on the Whitehouse grounds for as long as there is a usa. How embarrassing.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago

This is how he conducted his failed businesses, so no surprises here.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Trump being Trump, and now with extra dementia, he's probably changing the plans every 2 hours.

[–] Zapados@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago
[–] motor_spirit@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago
[–] Bocky@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Did they pull a permit? Gonna need a city permit.

[–] bus_factor@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Sure. He follows no other laws, but that particular one he'll surely follow.

[–] barkingspiders 4 points 1 week ago

I don't even wait. And when you're a ~~star~~ president, they let you do it. You can do anything

[–] Jumbie@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 week ago

“Urged Trump.”

[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 week ago

National Capital Planning Commission

The $2.5B cost to renovated Federal Reserve building is partly due to this commission's "preservation of historical character of the building". This is definitely a cheaper way to do it, but easier to threaten any commission member doing their job, then wait for them to approve destruction.

Expect final design to include his Mount Rushmore portrait on the roof. With a crown.

[–] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Dictators don't plan in a few terms, but in decades, if not centuries for their own successors.