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Washington journalists were left rubbing their temples in disbelief during a recent White House press briefing. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was at the podium this Thursday as she was trying (and failing) to explain the demolition of the East Wing. This decision by President Donald Trump has stunned the nation this week. The teardown is apparently to make space for what Trump has been calling his “big, beautiful ballroom,” and this has left Washington insiders and ordinary Americans annoyed. When pressed on whether the president has the authority to demolish federal buildings without oversight, Karoline Leavitt appeared to invent a new term on the spot. CBS reporter Weijia Jiang asked if Trump could “tear down anything he wants,” like the Jefferson Memorial, without submitting the plans for them to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). Karoline Leavitt’s answer was rather creative. The 28-year-old press secretary argued that Trump didn’t need to file with the NCPC because it only oversees “vertical construction,” not demolitions. The term immediately baffled viewers and left architects and construction professionals shaking their heads. “As an architect who’s practiced for almost 40 years (mostly in DC), I can attest I’ve never heard the term (…) It’s (…) a made-up term to make what they’re doing seem somehow more legit. It’s not,” one professional wrote on Threads. Yet Karoline Leavitt insists that this “legal opinion” had existed for years: “It’s not the president who came up with that (…) [it’s] been held by the NCPC for many years (…) The tearing down of the current East Wing structure, a submission is not required legally for that. Only for vertical construction, will a submission be required.” When pressed again, she went for a history lesson! She started waving around black-and-white photos from 1902 to show the building of the West Wing as if to make a point that Theodore Roosevelt’s renovation could somehow justify Donald Trump’s bulldozers. When asked back in July if the new ballroom would require demolition of the existing east wing, “It’ll be near it but not touching it,” Trump said. “Nothing will be torn down,” Karoline Leavitt added. The people were lied to once again. pic.twitter.com/iET46wqTml — (((AS))) (@timetomove2) October 22, 2025 At that point, Jiang tried to clarify: “So (…) the answer is yes — he can tear down whatever he wants.” Leavitt snapped back and said that it wasn’t what she was saying, but then contradicted herself again moments later by saying, “presidents have done [this] for years.” Then, Leavitt ignored Jiang’s follow-up question and called on someone else. RELATED: Ballroom Priority Backlash — Karoline Leavitt’s 5-Second Clip Sparks Heated Debate Online Online, viewers were merciless. “Karolyin’ got so excited when her coffee boy handed her those pictures,” one joked. Another on X (formerly Twitter) summed it up: “I really wish people like Leavitt would stop the incessant lying (…) It’s an insult to every thinking person.” The demolition, by the way, has spiraled into yet another fiasco. When the president first spoke of the $200 million plans this summer, he said it would extend the East Wing. But now? The East Wing is gone, and the price tag has ballooned to $300 million. The NCPC has not commented, but experts suggest that the president’s unilateral action will be constitutionally questioned. Leavitt has continued to spin the growing chaos as clever strategy — but if the ballroom mirrors her explanation, the country could be facing another fiasco. NEXT UP: “I Don’t Know the Exact…” – Karoline Leavitt’s Latest Remarks Confirm the White House Is Hiding the Truth About Trump’s Health
