'The perfect symbol' Ballroom blitz inspires chorus of condemnation

When Barack Obama roasted Donald Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Association dinner, the icing on the cake was a cartoon of what the White House might look like if Trump ever became US president.

- David Smith

The name “Trump” was emblazoned across the top in giant capital letters, followed by “the White House” in lurid purple cursive, then “Hotel. Casino. Golf course” and “presidential suite”. The parody imagined gold pillars, a giant crystal chandelier and two scantily clad women sitting at reception.

Fourteen years later, Obama’s vision looks increasingly prophetic as Trump, twice elected and determined to expand presidential power, puts his golden stamp all over the White House. Most dramatically, this week he sent in a wrecking crew to demolish the East Wing so he can build a $250m (£187m) ballroom.

The image of broken masonry, rubble and steel wires at America’s most famous address was reminiscent of a disaster movie and struck a chord even among people who have become accustomed to shrugging off Trump’s outrageous antics. White House alumni and presidential historians led the chorus of disgust.

“It’s an abomination,” said Elaine Kamarck, a former official who worked in the building from 1993 to 1997. “It’s typical Trump and it’s going to look awful. They’re knocking down the entire East Wing of the White House. It’s not the end of the world but it’s just one more reason that Americans are getting sick of King Trump.”

Some metaphors, it was observed, just write themselves. Jonathan Alter, a presidential historian, commented: “It’s the perfect symbol of the Trump administration and that’s why they didn’t want this photograph and that’s why it will become iconic and be used in history books for hundreds of years.

“It’s not the worst thing that he’s done but there’s a perfect alignment between the visual image and the major theme of the Trump second term. Early on with Elon Musk it was a chainsaw. Now it’s a wrecking ball and that’s been their attitude. They’ve taken a wrecking ball to the rule of law.”