CBS Reporter Spars With Karoline Leavitt Over East Wing Demolition: ‘Can the President Tear Down Anything He Wants?’
CBS reporter Weijia Jiang got into a sparring match with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday after President Donald Trump removed the East Wing of the White House to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
This back-and-forth occurred during a press conference in which Jiang asked whether Trump had followed proper protocols for construction.
“The White House explained to Leavitt that the reason you haven’t submitted construction plans to the NCPC (National Capital Planning Commission) is because that commission, along with others, only has oversight over construction, not demolitions, and you haven’t built anything yet,” Jiang told Leavitt.
“Can you help us understand? Can the president, without supervision, tear down anything he wants, tear down this building, call it the Jefferson Memorial?” he asked.
Leavitt countered that this was the NCPC’s legal opinion, not Trump’s legal opinion.
“This is a legal opinion that the NCPC has held for years,” Leavitt said. “They have consistently ruled, their general counsel has said, that when it comes to phase one of this project, which is the demolition of the existing East Wing structure, there is no legal need for an application for that, only an application for vertical construction would be needed. And that’s their legal opinion. We’re following that legal opinion.”
Leavitt noted that many other presidents have previously made updates at the White House, including in the press room they were in.
“There have been many presidents in the past who have left their mark on this beautiful White House complex. This briefing room… was once not a briefing room but a swimming pool.” “There have been presidents who completely destroyed the executive mansion,” Leavitt said.
That’s when Jiang jumped again.
“So the answer seems to be, ‘Yes, he can destroy whatever he wants,'” he said.
However, Leavitt intervened and said: “That’s not what we’re saying. This is a legal view that has been defended for years.”
Leavitt then produced photographic examples of the White House throughout its time, noting the construction of both the West Wing and the West Terrace in 1902.
“I’m asking about demolition — demolition,” Jiang added, trying to convey that he was talking about deconstructions versus construction on the White House. Leavitt continued listing the structures.
“Can he destroy anything he wants?” Jiang continued.
“Look at all this debris,” Leavitt said. “How did this debris get there?”
Jiang was one of several people who questioned Leavitt about the demolition. ABC’s Mary Bruce also pressed the press secretary for answers.
“The president had originally said this project would not interfere with or touch the existing structure,” Bruce said. “Now to do this properly, he says, he realized that the East Wing had to be demolished. This is the people’s home. Why not inform the public about this change and the decision that the East Wing should be demolished?”
Photos of Thursday’s destruction showed that the East Wing is now just rubble. Footage also shows that not only the East Wing was removed, but the deconstruction extended to the East Colonnade, where the White House movie theater has hosted screenings for years. The cost of the ballroom so far is $300 million, with some of the money coming from donors. Google, Apple and Amazon.
You can watch Jiang and Leavitt’s exchange in the video above.
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