We must protect the White House from the whims of an unchecked president | Opinion
A president may reside there, but the White House belongs to the nation — and its destruction demands accountability.
The White House is not a private residence. It is a public monument that embodies more than two centuries of American history. Every president, regardless of party, is merely a tenant of this national treasure.
Missouri’s own Harry Truman courted controversy when he proposed an extension of the West Wing early in his presidency. He consulted the American Institute of Architects, which wrote in the February 1946 edition of its journal: “As if someone were attempting to recast the Liberty Bell, or add a paragraph to the Constitution, any proposed alteration of or addition to the White House snaps all of us to attention.”
Truman initially failed to win approval from Congress for that project, but he succeeded the next year in building a second-floor balcony off the Yellow Oval Room, now known as the Truman Balcony. And in his second term, he completed a more extensive renovation to the badly deteriorating residence — with the approval of Congress and in consultation with historic and architectural experts.
Other past administrations approached changes to the White House — including sensitive renovations overseen by Jacqueline Kennedy and later Nancy Reagan — with transparency and care. Those projects, too, were guided by architects, preservation experts and appropriate oversight. They strengthened the building while honoring its symbolic and historic value.
By contrast, the recent unilateral demolition of the East Wing under President Donald Trump appears to have violated a number of federal preservation laws and regulations, and was carried out without environmental protection or public oversight.
Some have dismissed the matter as a routine update. One national newspaper even said it isn’t a big deal. But it is a very big deal. The new ballroom to be built on the now-razed site will be 90,000 square feet, at a cost currently estimated at $300 million. By contrast, the White House itself is about 55,000 square feet, and Truman’s renovation cost about $54 million in today’s dollars.
The East Wing contained historically significant architecture, materials and furnishings, many of which appear to have been discarded or destroyed. The demolition has potentially exposed workers and the public to hazards such as asbestos, lead paint or airborne pollutants.
What is needed now is a law that would restore the White House to the condition it was in when Trump took office, and require that any future substantial alteration or demolition undergo formal review by preservation and planning authorities, with bipartisan oversight and public accountability. Routine maintenance and legitimate security upgrades would continue, of course, but no president could again act unilaterally to alter or destroy what belongs to the nation.
Protecting the White House is not about nostalgia or politics. It is about the rule of law, public trust and preserving our national heritage. As President Ronald Reagan once said, “The White House belongs to the American people — it is their house.” The American people have the right to expect that their house will endure, like the democracy it represents.
Sarah C. Peck is a former U.S. diplomat and co-author of “The Mass Shooting Playbook: A Resource for U.S. Mayors and City Managers.”