Michelle Obama has again criticized President Trump’s ongoing White House ballroom project, arguing that demolishing the East Wing undermines the historic civic role of the first lady’s workspace.
Speaking during a live taping of her podcast in Brooklyn, as reported by The New York Times and Vanity Fair, Obama described the East Wing as essential to the traditional duties of first ladies.
“When we talk about the East Wing, it is the heart of the work” of a first lady, Obama stated. “And to denigrate it, to tear it down, to pretend like it doesn’t matter — it’s a reflection of how you think of that role.”
The former first lady said she reminded West Wing staff that her team had boosted President Obama’s political standing, recalling that she called it “five extra approval points” from maintaining a “balanced image of the first family,” according to the Times.
Her latest remarks echo earlier criticism of the project. In a recent interview with Stephen Colbert, Michelle Obama described the East Wing as the part of the White House where “you felt light,” where “children came and there were puppies.”
She said she feels “confused” and “lost” about the nation’s current values, adding, “I just feel like, what is important to us as a nation anymore? Because I’m lost.” Obama used the East Wing’s conversion into a ballroom as a metaphor for her disillusionment with Trump’s America.
Debate over Trump’s White House ballroom has drawn reactions from other former occupants. In Omaha last week, former President Joe Biden said he’d long expected Trump to “take a wrecking ball to the country,” calling the ballroom “a perfect symbol of his presidency.” Chelsea Clinton echoed that view in a USA Today op-ed, describing the project as a “wrecking ball to our heritage” and calling the White House a “mirror of our democracy.” Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has used the controversy to raise money for progressive causes through themed merchandise on Instagram.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the backlash as “fake outrage,” noting on Fox News that nearly all modern presidents have undertaken renovations and even joked about needing more space for large events. She pointed to Barack Obama hosting a state dinner in a rented tent on the South Lawn as an example. The administration also published a “Major Events Timeline” on the White House website, highlighting past renovations alongside notable moments such as Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky, Hunter Biden’s substance abuse, and a Pride Month incident involving a transgender activist. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump had previously offered to build a modular ballroom for the Obama White House in 2010, but the proposal was never accepted.
Michalle Obama Is Upset About White House Ballroom Construction
“We always felt it was the people’s house… I am confused by what are our norms, what are our standards, what are our traditions? I just feel like, what is important to us as a nation anymore? Because I am lost…… https://t.co/AwBPD9ZTlh pic.twitter.com/e7Rjny6RXC
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) November 5, 2025
