President Trump has fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, which oversees architecture in Washington D.C., amid plans to undertake significant changes to the city's landscape. The move is part of a broader effort by the president to put his stamp on the nation's capital, with ambitious projects including a massive White House ballroom and a gigantic triumphal arch.
The commission's ouster marks a departure from the Trump administration's previous approach, which had also replaced several members during Mr. Trump's first term in office. The White House has announced plans to appoint new members who are more aligned with the president's America First policies.
One of the most high-profile projects on the horizon is the 90,000-square-foot ballroom replacement for the East Wing of the White House. The project has drawn criticism from historic preservation groups and some lawmakers, who have raised concerns about the sudden decision to demolish part of the building without public disclosure or proper consultation.
The White House has pushed back against these criticisms, calling the pushback "manufactured outrage" and arguing that previous presidents have also made changes to the complex. The administration has cast the ballroom as a necessary addition to a building lacking large event spaces.
It remains unclear whether the White House plans to submit its ballroom designs to the Commission of Fine Arts or if they will go through the National Capital Planning Commission, which has oversight over construction projects in D.C. However, the president's own words suggest that he views himself as having significant latitude to make decisions about the city's development.
The Trump administration's approach to architecture has been met with a polarized response, with some viewing it as a bold effort to put the nation's capital on par with other great cities and others criticizing it for its potential impact on historic landmarks and cultural heritage.
The commission's ouster marks a departure from the Trump administration's previous approach, which had also replaced several members during Mr. Trump's first term in office. The White House has announced plans to appoint new members who are more aligned with the president's America First policies.
One of the most high-profile projects on the horizon is the 90,000-square-foot ballroom replacement for the East Wing of the White House. The project has drawn criticism from historic preservation groups and some lawmakers, who have raised concerns about the sudden decision to demolish part of the building without public disclosure or proper consultation.
The White House has pushed back against these criticisms, calling the pushback "manufactured outrage" and arguing that previous presidents have also made changes to the complex. The administration has cast the ballroom as a necessary addition to a building lacking large event spaces.
It remains unclear whether the White House plans to submit its ballroom designs to the Commission of Fine Arts or if they will go through the National Capital Planning Commission, which has oversight over construction projects in D.C. However, the president's own words suggest that he views himself as having significant latitude to make decisions about the city's development.
The Trump administration's approach to architecture has been met with a polarized response, with some viewing it as a bold effort to put the nation's capital on par with other great cities and others criticizing it for its potential impact on historic landmarks and cultural heritage.
90k sqft is crazy what's next? they're gonna build a giant statue of trump in DC too lol...
I'm not sure about this whole thing... The White House is basically rewriting history by getting rid of the Commission of Fine Arts, which has been a voice of reason when it comes to preserving our nation's iconic buildings and monuments.
And what about all those historic landmarks that might get lost in the shuffle? I think we should be careful not to throw away a piece of our cultural heritage for some fancy new ballroom.
. i mean, trump's been all about ' america first' but when it comes to preserving our history and culture, he just seems to be throwing everything out the window 
. have we even seen any blueprints or designs yet? nope, not publicly, anyway 
. i need some credible sources on this one before i start cheering for the new ballroom 
...or booing it 
and that huge ballroom is gonna be a disaster trust me i was watching some vids about it online and it's supposed to be this fancy schmancy room with like 1000 chairs or something 
i mean, is that really what america first looks like to them? 
, like what even is happening at the White House? Firing an entire commission and replacing them with people who only care about the president's ego project. I mean, come on, a massive ballroom in the East Wing? It's just so unnecessary and it's going to hurt our cultural heritage for sure 
. We need to speak out against this kind of blatant disregard for history and preservation. The public has a right to know what's happening to our national monuments, not some manufactured outrage by the White House.
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This is just going to end in a huge mess...
The whole thing just reeks of "me" and not actually thinking about the city or its history. I'm sure it'll all come together with some fancy architecture degree from a Trump buddy and voilà! Instant masterpieces... said no one ever. 
and honestly i'm kinda curious to see how this whole thing plays out - are they gonna try to get away with this by claiming previous presidents did it too? 
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And what about all the historic landmarks and cultural heritage sites? Shouldn't we be preserving those instead of tearing them down or modifying them without proper consultation?
I mean, can't we just leave some of our historic buildings alone and not try to "improve" them just for the sake of it?!? 
. While I think it's cool that the President wants to leave his mark, I hope they don't forget about preserving the city's history and culture 
. Those historic landmarks are what make DC special, you know? It's a bit disappointing that the White House is downplaying all the criticism from preservation groups and lawmakers 
. Can't we have some public input on these massive projects before they go through? I just hope it's not too late for them to rethink their plans 