Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) flipped the script on the left when asked by a CNN reporter about the Trump administration adding a ballroom to the White House.
CNN reporter Manu Raju asked: “What about just uprooting the — you know, this is an iconic building?”
“I made this point yesterday, that I hear all of a sudden from my liberal friends that they’re very concerned about our history. Really? These are the same people who tore down every statue they could get their hands on in the last four years,” the GOP senator replied.
“Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt. They didn’t have any concern for history then. Now, all of a sudden, they’re like, ‘Oh, the facade of the East Wing is iconic,'” Hawley said. “Oh, give me a break. I mean, give me a break.”
Senator Josh Hawley dismantles CNN’s narrative about President Trump’s White House renovation during a live interview.
When reporter Manu Raju asked: “What about just uprooting the—you know—this is an iconic building?”@HawleyMO exposed their faux outrage instantly:
“Manu, I… pic.twitter.com/FR9oKdUV2w
— Overton (@overton_news) October 22, 2025
Democrats embarked on a curious campaign this week to denounce President Donald J. Trump for a planned ballroom project after construction crews began demolition efforts on the East Wing facade.
Hawley appeared on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” Thursday evening to point out that taxpayers are not on the hook for the sorely needed ballroom.
“The president is doing this on his own dime,” he told host Laura Ingraham. “I saw it today. It looks fantastic. I’m delighted he is doing it, and I love seeing these liberals melt down.”
The project was announced over the summer, as seen below, but Democrats waited until they had a visual to run with to criticize the addition.
BREAKING: @PressSec announces the construction of a new 90,000 sq ft ballroom at the White House — with construction to begin in September.
Visit https://t.co/Nq7Vqlw3HO for more. pic.twitter.com/XadWWxOGON
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 31, 2025
The White House released a detailed history of renovations to the Executive Mansion, while dismissing the “manufactured outrage” on the left.
“Now, in 2025, President Trump is carrying forward that legacy, breaking ground on a grand ballroom — a transformative addition that will significantly increase the White House’s capacity to host major functions honoring world leaders, foreign nations, and other dignitaries,” a statement said. “In the latest instance of manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House — a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and renovations from commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence as a beacon of American excellence.”
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 21, 2025
Here’s a sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:
Hey @CNN, why y’all throwing a hissy fit over a renovation that won’t cost us a penny, but you were all smiles when Obama spent $367 million of our taxpayer money on his renovation? https://t.co/D6pkTWakX7
— B (@Allin4Freedom) October 22, 2025
Hawley cooked CNN alive with that one. Manu tried teeing up some weak emotional bait, and Hawley smashed it out the park like Babe Ruth with a grudge. These same liberal crybabies who were cheering when statues were ripped down like cheap yard signs are suddenly clutching pearls…
— Dan Brisbois (@Dan_Brisbois) October 23, 2025
Iconic Statues were torn down all over America the last 4 years. Lincoln’s Memorial was defaced. What President Trump is adding to the White House will be beautiful. If a Democrat President was doing this no one would be complaining, but because it’s Trump, it’s a catastrophe.
— Yooper (@Yooperhomestead) October 22, 2025
They’re the same people who say America has never been great. They just can’t stay planted in any belief system longer than it takes to write a post.
— Cody (@Designed2Think) October 22, 2025
No one, not even the left, considers the east wing, which is basically just some offices built in 1942, an iconic part of the White House. It’s not part of the main structure. 99.9% of people hadn’t even heard of the east wing prior to all this nonsense.
— PiningForAFjord (@PiningForAFjord) October 23, 2025
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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