From demanding government money to new construction: Trump’s troublesome week

Everyone on the planet knows that Donald Trump has taken over the government politically, ideologically and culturally.

Will you force elite universities to change their policies or lose hundreds of millions of dollars in grants? Control.

Sue media outlets and collect $16 million or more from the likes of CBS and NBC? Control.

HILLARY CLINTON DISCOVERS VOTERS AGAINST TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION: ‘IT’S NOT HIS HOME’

Tell the Justice Department which of its political enemies should be charged? Control.

Pressuring top-notch law firms to donate millions in free services under threat of losing access to confidential documents? Control.

Take over the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian and steer them in an unwary direction? Control.

Use National Guard troops and law enforcement to take over crime fighting in D.C. and now Chicago and Portland over the objections of local Democratic officials? Control.

And during the government shutdown, now in its fourth week, he is openly cutting Democrats’ favored programs and laying off thousands of workers.

These are not secret, behind-the-scenes developments; They are in the news every day.

But the president has made two consecutive moves that fall into a completely different category.

Seemingly out of the blue, he demanded the federal government pay him $230 million.

He said this was for damages he suffered during the investigations that led to four indictments against him. And taxpayers would pick up the bill.

And there’s more: The payments will have to be approved by the Justice Department, which Trump publicly ordered. More specifically, by deputy attorney general Todd Blanche, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney. This is a clear conflict of interest. But even if Blanche backed out, someone lower up in the chain would undoubtedly give the green light.

This debate is frustrating because it’s easy to understand. You don’t need a law degree to grasp this. To most people, this looks like Trump enriching himself at public expense.

TRUMP CELEBRATES THE DEMOLITION OF THE WHITE HOUSE AS NEW BALLROOM RISES: ‘MUSIC TO MY EARS’

Thom Tillis, one of the Republican senators, currently calls for “terrible perspective… We’re talking about maybe a quarter of a billion dollars being transferred to the president while we’re in a shutdown.”

The applications, disclosed by the New York Times, were made before he won back the White House.

There are also similar accusations; for example, the president’s investment in crypto, including MAGA Memecoin, which is believed to have generated at least $1 billion in income for himself and his family. But come on, who understands the nuances of Bitcoin?

Trump has been selling merchandise all his life. He sold steaks, started a branded airline and taught business classes at Trump University, which closed after settling three lawsuits. He sold self-titled Bibles, clocks, sneakers, trading cards, mugs, spirits and luxury timepieces.

President Donald Trump speaks at a meeting of senior U.S. military commanders at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Virginia, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The president, sounding a little shy (a rarity for him), seemed to sense that he had gone too far.

“It’s interesting because I’m the one making the decision, right?” he told reporters. “And that decision would have to go across my desk. And it’s extremely strange to make a decision that I’m going to pay for myself.”

But he added: “I have suffered tremendously and was going to donate any money I received to charity.”

This was his first promise not to pocket the money. But the lasting impression is that Trump, who is never short of money, sees his palatial office as a permanent money-making opportunity.

The second move is based on a visual that I found very difficult to follow. And I’ve heard this from ordinary people as well as experts.

Demolition of the East Wing of the White House.

The Washington Post was the first to obtain photos of a digger reducing part of the East Wing to rubble. Officials have now confirmed that the entire wing of the “People’s House” will be demolished.

History was attacked before our eyes. One of the most iconic buildings in the world is being demolished on his orders. The actual attack on the building was almost complete when John and Abigail Adams moved in in 1800. (The unfortunate incident occurred when the British burned the building during the War of 1812.)

The East Wing, where the First Lady’s offices are located, dates back to 1902, and a second floor was added during FDR’s reign.

The reason for the demolition is to make way for Trump’s $250 million ballroom plan. He did not submit plans for the ballroom and is not subject to architectural review.

TRUMP BREAKS THE GROUND OF THE GIANT WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT WITH PRIVATE FINANCE FROM ‘PATRIOTS’

The president promised this wouldn’t happen. “It will not interfere with the existing building,” he said when signing the executive order in July. “It will be next to it, but it won’t touch it, and it will show complete respect for the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of. It’s my favorite. It’s my favorite place. I love it.”

But this assurance turned out to be meaningless.

Trump, for all his power, is a temporary resident of the house, but he is undertaking extensive renovations that will last well into the future.

Some of his predecessors made modest changes. JFK expanded the Rose Garden, once a pasture for cows and sheep, and Trump installed a concrete slab to turn it into a patio.

This photo, provided by the U.S. Library of Congress, shows crowds outside the White House during a ceremony at the White House in Washington on November 25, 1913, on the wedding day of President Wilson’s daughter, Jessie Woodrow Wilson, who married Francis Bowes Sayre. (U.S. Library of Congress via AP)

Under Richard Nixon, a press briefing room was opened to replace the swimming pool established for Franklin Roosevelt’s physical therapy.

Trump openly says he wants “a beautiful ballroom like the one I have at Mar-a-Lago” and that the project is financed by giant corporations.

But we can never get back what we had, the full, gleaming white mansion that all Americans are familiar with. And this is a story that needs no explanation, just a single image of destruction.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

Donald Trump has achieved many successes in his second term, from destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities to organizing an unexpected ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and releasing hostages.

In short, the President has had many good weeks. This is not one of them.