[Voice of the Observer Network]
Several tourist attractions in Washington have been shut down because of the US government shutdown, but travelers don’t worry because a new “bright” landscape is being seen in the U.S. capital – the White House’s east wing that has become a piece of ruin.
After U.S. President Trump vowed to build a new luxury banquet hall in the White House, the building representing “America’s century of history” had been completely demolished on October 23 local time.
This week, a crowd of students and holiday couples are still looking at the national historic landmark of the United States, which has been the presidential residence since 1800.
But now they can only see that the East Wing of the White House is severely blocked by high road barriers, and only the top of two giant fans explore the fence in dust and noise.
The White House East Wing Building was built in 1902 and covered the second floor in 1942, the main facilities include the "First Lady" office, a small cinema, and the White House guest entrance.
The Trump administration previously said that the construction of a luxury banquet hall in the east wing will be funded by Trump and other private donors, and the project is expected to cost about $250 million. The new banquet hall covers an area of more than 8,300 square meters and can accommodate about 1,000 guests. It will replace the temporary tent usually set up on the South Lawn of the White House for large-scale events.
Later on the 23rd, Trump announced that he had received $3.5 billion in donations, but did not disclose the amount he had donated. Dozens of companies and wealthy people, including Amazon, Google and SpaceX, have already donated.
However, the White House's "Great Growth" coincided with the US government's shutdown.The Democratic National Committee of the United States has previously condemned that when the American people are worried about basic livelihoods and medical problems, the White House is busy breaking the ground, which is no different for the people as "a bold betrayal".
This scene also shocked some American tourists. Jonathan Feinberg, 79, was visiting Washington on Thursday from Philadelphia. Looking at everything in front of him, he scolded,"There are so many homeless and hungry people in this country, but this fool spends money on such things?"
Feinberg also told Reuters that his wife was already dissatisfied with the White House renovation work earlier this year. Since Trump took office again in January this year, he has carried out large-scale renovations to the White House, including the president's Oval Office.
Trump also laid the grass of the White House Rose Garden on a brick and painted a yellow terrace umbrella, “Now that place looks like some kind of overpriced hotel.”
A comparison of satellite images taken on September 26 (left) and October 23 shows that the entire East Wing of the White House has been completely demolished.
Several other visitors said they knew that “the biggest transformation of the White House in decades” was underway until they asked.
According to Reuters, the majority of visitors were opposed to the project, and some were specifically protesting, one of whom was dressed in uniforms.
“He said before that he would not move anything, that he would try to stay out and not make big changes,” said Kevin Wade, a 52-year-old tech worker who visited Washington from Texas.
Addison, 32, is an employee of a pharmaceutical company. He is hosting a wedding this weekend and is currently taking visiting relatives and friends around Washington. He bluntly said that this was just a "face project" by Trump.
"No one seems to be able to check and balance his power to make such decisions. (Which is why) this banquet hall is not my biggest worry at all,"he added.
Some conservatives defended Trump and supported his modernization of the White House, calling the building old and long-standing lack of space.About outside criticism of Trump's construction of the banquet hall, the White House also rejected the criticism of the demolition operation as "false anger."
Asked by the media “whether Trump can demolish what he wants to demolish and whether the construction project has gone through the right process,” White House press secretary Calvett tried to shift the topic, stressing that many former presidents have undergone large-scale renovations at the White House.
“A lot of presidents in the past have left their mark on this beautiful White House building.This briefing room was not a briefing room, but a swimming pool.”
On Thursday, the White House also added a new column to its website, whose "About the White House" page shows a timeline of major events in White House history.
The timetable shows that the rebuilding of the White House by the U.S. President began with the expansion of the West Wing of the White House during President Roosevelt’s reign before 1902, including the oval office, the Rose Garden, the Eastern Wing, the press room and the tennis hall.
On October 21, local time, the U.S. National History Conservation Trust warned U.S. government officials in a letter that the planned banquet hall “will exceed the size of the White House itself”.
And on the same day, at the White House Rose Garden for Senate Republicans for lunch, Trump referred to the Eastern Wing transformation, "You may hear the beautiful sound behind the construction.
"I like the sound. People don't like it, but I like it," he said.