The hosts of The View have made their opinions clear on the “tacky, nasty, and gaudy” renovations underway at the White House after construction on President Donald Trump’s new $250 million ballroom started this week.
On Monday, a wrecking crew began partially demolishing the East Wing in order to make room for the expansion, despite Trump’s previous promises that the privately-funded venue would be a separate building that wouldn’t even touch the original historical landmark.
“That is not your building. You don't own that building!” Whoopi Goldberg said in a stern message to Trump on Tuesday’s episode of ABC’s daytime talk show.
“That would be like me going over to Trump Tower and saying, ‘I’m gonna build a disco! They wanted to just own Trump Tower for hundreds of years!’ I mean, come on, you don't own that building. That is the people's building. You don’t own it!”
Goldberg’s co-hosts jumped in to slam the overhaul, with Joy Behar calling Trump a “one man wrecking ball” and criticizing the optics of undergoing a lavish remodel while Americans face an unstable economy.
“At the same time, people are losing their government jobs,” Behar said.
“It's a very bad look right now to be building and demolishing and all this gold, tacky crap that he loves.”
Co-host Sara Haines added, “A ballroom is a symbol of excess and opulence, and we're living in a time where those optics just are flying in the face of the reality of the majority of this country.
“He won on making cost of living better, but inflation's up three percent. 74 percent of Americans say they've seen household prices increase by at least $100. The unemployment rate is at a four-year high right now. People are struggling to eat, and this is a wealthy ballroom paid for by wealthy people for wealthy people to come and dance.”
The ballroom will be able to seat 650 people in a 90,000 square foot space, which is a huge increase from the current 200-person capacity of the East Room, according to the White House.
Co-host Sunny Hostin slammed the ballroom’s proposed design, which features golden chairs and chandeliers.
“People are losing their healthcare and tax breaks to billionaires who are probably some of the private donors for this tacky, gaudy, nasty ballroom,” Hostin said.
“It’s tacky! See! It looks like Mar-a-Lago, which is tacky.”
Alyssa Farrah Griffin, co-host and Trump’s ex-aide, noted that presidents “technically have the authority” to change the White House, but they usually have to get renovations approved by a presidential planning commission.
She admitted, “I have fears that this might look more like a Florida country club than the White House as we know it.”
Ben Stiller warns current political climate is making comedy ‘more challenging’
Kenny Loggins shreds Trump for using his song in bizarre AI poop bomb video
John Cusack says Trump should ‘go to hell!’ at ‘No Kings’ protest in Chicago
How police footage captured the timeline of AJ Owens’ murder in The Perfect Neighbor
Suzanne Somers’ husband creates AI clone of late actress two years after her death
Eighth contestant exits Great British Bake Off after challenging quarter-final
