Michelle Obama Reveals Emotional Reaction to Seeing East Wing Demolition to Make Way for Trump’s $300 Million Ballroom

Michelle Obama has opened up about her visceral physical reaction to the demolition of the historic East Wing of the White House, which was razed to make way for the president Donald Trump‘s $300 million ballroom.

For years, the East Wing housed the first lady’s official office, and was where Michelle was stationed during her husband’s Barack Obama‘s eight-year term of office.

However, that wing was demolished in October as part of President Trump’s plans to equip the White House with its own 90,000-square-foot ballroom, a move that sparked fierce criticism from Democrats, who accused the 79-year-old of destroying a vital piece of history.

Now Michelle, 61, has responded to the controversy during an appearance Jamie Kern Lima‘S podcastwhen she was asked by the host, “How did it feel for you and your body when you saw the East Wing being demolished?”

“It’s not about me, it’s about us and our traditions and what they stand for,” Michelle responded. “I think I felt confusion in my body because I thought, ‘Well, who are we? What do we value and who decides that?'”

The mother of two noted that she’s been thinking a lot lately about the state of the nation — and what it really means to be an American in light of the changing political landscape.

“That’s what’s been going through my head a lot lately: ‘Who are we? What are the rules?'” she said. “Because I’m confused by what our norms and mores are, not by the laws, but by how we live together? That’s the part of it that hurts.

‘It’s not about the house, I’m just trying to understand the assignment. And so I think I felt a loss for us as a nation.”

Although she admitted that the demolition of the East Wing prompted her to take a broader view of society, Michelle made it clear that this was not personal.

“Personally, you know, that’s not our house. That’s the People’s House,” she said.

Initially, Trump had pushed for the addition of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. would not disrupt the existing structure, telling reporters in July: “It will not disrupt the current building. It won’t. It will be close to it, but not touching it – and it pays full respect to the existing building, which I am the biggest fan of.”

However, it is believed that these plans changed after a meeting with architects revealed that there would not be enough space for the planned ballroom without the destruction of the East Wing.

During a recent interview with Fox News host Laura Ingrahamthe president defended the project, telling the Fox News host that the East Wing “looked like hell” when it was demolished — noting that the ballroom will be a much larger addition to the White House.

“The East Wing was a beautiful little structure that was built many years ago and was renovated and expanded and decomposed and the columns were torn out — and it had nothing to do with the original building,” he said.

‘It was a poor, sad sight, and I could have built the ballroom around it, but it wouldn’t have been. We are building one of the largest ballrooms in the world.”

Noting that the ballroom would be paid for privately and not by taxpayers, the president called on a host of wealthy donors to contribute to the project.

However, he says his plans for the lavish event space have hit a snag in recent weeks The Washington Postreporting what Trump is arguing with James McCrery IIthe architect he himself chose to design the White House ballroom because of its size.

According to the outlet, the architect has expressed concerns about the sheer size of the project, noting that the completed ballroom could dwarf the actual White House, which spans just 55,000 square feet.

A White House official admitted that Trump and McCrery disagreed but called it a “constructive dialogue.”

“As with any building, there is a conversation between the client and the architect. All parties are excited to execute the president’s vision for what will be the largest addition to the White House since the Oval Office,” the official told the outlet.

At a White House dinner for donors, Trump previously gave a glimpse into his plans for the space, saying it would be “one of the best in the world.”

He also described the new ballroom as having four sides of “bulletproof” glass that was “completely appropriate in color and window shape.”

Construction on the historic home has been underway since Trump took office.

Before starting work on the ballroom, the president came under fire for paving over the iconic White House Rose Garden in an effort to make the outdoor event space safer for guests, especially women in heels.

“You know, we use [the Rose Garden] for a press conference and it doesn’t work because people are falling,” he said during a March interview on Fox News. ‘The terrain can be wet and the soft ground may be a problem for some. Women, it just didn’t work with the high heels.”

Despite the backlash to the plans, Trump pressed ahead with his outdoor redesign, with shots from June showing the grass torn up and replaced with gravel.

The completed paved area was later filled with tables, chairs and yellow and white umbrellas that many noted were nearly identical to those used poolside at Trump’s Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago.

As part of the redesign, the Rose Garden has been fitted with new drainage systems to prevent water from collecting in the centre.

Work on the historic garden began on June 9, when National Park Service workers began removing a limestone border installed by Trump’s wife. Melania55, during his first term.

The renovation progressed quickly, with footage taken on June 17 and 18 showing the entire lawn had been torn up by bulldozers – as well as several posts under the ground – before gravel was laid over the entire surface.

Despite Trump’s insistence that the garden’s renovation was absolutely necessary, the project has sparked some backlash from critics, who insist the “removal” of such an important piece of White House history is disrespectful.

Apart from the White House, the president also recently revealed that he wants to build a new monument: an Arc de Triomphe-style arch near the Lincoln Memorial.