Sen. Josh Hawley Addresses Trump’s White House Changes
On Wednesday, Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, discussed President Donald Trump’s recent demolition of the East Wing of the White House during an interview, where he mentioned that many on the left seem eager to see historical artifacts destroyed.
CNN reporter Manu Raju pressed Hawley about the ongoing construction, which includes tearing down part of the White House to build a new ballroom. Raju suggested that valuable historical buildings might be at risk, prompting Hawley to point out that the far left has previously supported the removal of statues of American historical figures.
“I mentioned this yesterday, and it’s interesting to hear my liberal friends suddenly voice concern about our history. Really? These are the same people who took down countless statues over the last four years,” Hawley remarked.
As for the construction, crews began demolition on the East Wing facade earlier this week. Historic preservation groups and some lawmakers quickly expressed their disapproval after video footage of the demolition surfaced.
The White House released a statement defending the demolition, noting that the new ballroom is a privately funded project meant to reflect the President’s legacy of enhancements to the Executive Mansion. In their statement, they labeled the backlash as “unchecked” and suggested that media reactions had been overblown.
Responding to concerns about the demolition’s effects on iconic buildings, Hawley mentioned that he wasn’t particularly worried. He referred to past instances where monuments honoring significant American figures were destroyed during protests advocating for racial justice, arguing that critics from the left lacked credibility in this matter.
He highlighted how the riots following the 2020 George Floyd protests involved the defacement and destruction of many such monuments. “People didn’t seem to care about history back then,” he said, referring to figures like Christopher Columbus and Thomas Jefferson. “Now, all of a sudden, they’re acting like the East Tower facade is sacred.” He added, “Maybe they should take a step back.”
