‘Not My Project’: Melania Trump Washes Her Hands of Donald’s $300 Million White House Wreck
First Lady Melania Trump (File photo)
Behind the scenes, Melania Trump has reportedly expressed deep frustration over her husband’s decision to demolish the historic East Wing of the White House to make way for a lavish gold-plated ballroom estimated to cost nearly $300 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.
However, rather than attempting to stop the controversial project, Melania has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with it. Sources told the Journal that the former first lady told close associates the demolition was “not her project,” signaling that she does not want to be blamed for what many are calling an act of architectural vandalism.
The construction, ordered by former President Donald Trump, has already destroyed one of the most historically significant parts of the White House the East Wing, which houses the Office of the First Lady, the East Colonnade, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. The damage, satellite imagery shows, is so extensive that it can be seen from space.
While Melania has remained silent publicly, several of her former allies are speaking out. Stephanie Grisham, her former chief of staff and White House press secretary, condemned the demolition in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett on OutFront.
“It breaks my heart,” Grisham said. “It’s something that could never be put back. I wish they would have gone about it in a better way. I can’t help but wonder what [Melania] really thinks about how all of this is taking place.”
Grisham also criticized the Trump team for rushing the project without following the traditional approval process for major White House renovations. “I certainly didn’t expect it to be demolished like a condemned house in just three days,” she added.
The East Wing wasn’t just another section of the White House it was Melania’s personal and professional domain. It was where she planned her famous (and sometimes infamous) holiday decorations, including the 2018 installation of 40 blood-red Christmas trees that lit up social media. The space also held the Gold Star Family Tree, honoring fallen U.S. service members a long-standing First Lady tradition. Now, all of it is gone.
The Democratic Party’s official X (Twitter) account wasted no time responding, reposting a thread highlighting Melania’s silence and reminding followers that maintaining the East Wing has “historically been the First Lady’s responsibility.” They followed up with a sharp jab an old photograph of Melania alongside her now-infamous 2018 quote: “Who gives a fabout Christmas?”
That remark came from a secretly recorded conversation in which Melania vented her frustration over her ceremonial duties, saying, “I’m working my a– off at Christmas stuff… you know, who gives a f— about Christmas stuff and decorations? But I need to do it, right?”
Neither Melania nor the White House has issued an official statement on the matter.
The demolition began on Monday, despite Trump’s previous assurances that his ballroom project would not interfere with the White House structure. Initially budgeted at $200 million, the cost has since ballooned to $300 million, with the ballroom’s capacity expanding from 650 to 900 guests.
Although Trump once claimed he would personally fund the construction, new reports suggest uncertainty over the project’s actual financing raising fresh questions about whether taxpayer money may be indirectly involved.
The controversy comes amid a prolonged government shutdown that has forced hundreds of thousands of federal workers, including TSA agents and air traffic controllers, to work without pay.
As Trump presses ahead with his extravagant “golden ballroom” vision, the East Wing lies in rubble — a symbol, critics say, of misplaced priorities and unchecked vanity.
And Melania? She’s already made her stance clear: “It’s not my project.”
