During a Tuesday appearance on “The Jamie Kern Lima Show” for her book tour, former First Lady Michelle Obama claimed she’s struggling to understand the decision to demolish the White House’s East Wing for a new ballroom, where she and generations of first ladies worked.
“It’s not about me. It’s about us and our traditions and what they stand for,” Obama, 61, said when asked how she felt about the demolition. “I think in my body, I felt confusion because I’m like, ‘Well, who are we? What do we value and who decides that?’ That’s the thing that’s going through my head a lot lately.”
Michelle, who served as first lady from 2008 to 2016 alongside her husband, former President Barack Obama, said she has become “confused” about what today’s “norms and morals” are supposed to be.
“That’s the part of it that hurts. It’s not the house … it’s who … I’m just trying to understand the assignment,” she continued. “And so I think I felt a loss for us as a nation.”
Michelle added, “You know, that’s not our house. That’s the People’s House.”
President Trump approved a major renovation plan for the East Wing — home to the Office of the First Lady and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden — replacing it with a new, $300 million state-of-the-art ballroom designed to modernize and expand the White House’s event and hosting capabilities. Demolition of the East Wing began on October 20 and wrapped up just three days later. The new ballroom is scheduled to be completed before President Trump’s term ends in 2029.
“The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance,” a July press release on the White House website reads. “The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.”
Michelle is not the only former first lady who has spoken critically about the project. Hillary Clinton slammed the decision via a post on X in October, writing: “It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.”
