First Lady Melania Trump and former FLOTUS Michelle Obama are famously known to have very little in common besides the US First Lady title. If there is one surprising thing that both Melania and Michelle seem to agree on, it has to do with their disdain for Trump’s architectural tweaks at the White House, mainly the demolition of the East Wing.
Melania’s alleged concerns about the East Wing demolition were first stated by an article in The Wall Street Journal. The news piece cited anonymous administration insiders who claimed that Melania had privately raised concerns about the demolition of the East Wing.
The report stated, “Everyone, it seems, has an opinion about the project, even first lady Melania Trump, who privately raised concerns about tearing down the East Wing and told associates it wasn’t her project, according to administration officials.”
While Melania has largely been discreet about the East Wing demolition, in an interview with Laura Ingraham earlier this month, Donald Trump was asked if reports of Melania disapproving of the project were true. The President replied, “She loved her little tiny office.” Trump revealed that Melania eventually agreed with the idea. He said, “You know what? She is very smart. In about one day, she… if you would ask her now, she says it’s great.”
Ingraham asks Trump about destroying the East Wing to build his ballroom: “There was a report that Melania didn’t love this idea. Is that true?”
Trump: “Well, she loved her little tiny office in there…If you were to ask her now, she says, ‘It’s great.'” pic.twitter.com/EK9BoXPc2i
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) November 11, 2025
Trump went on to defend his $300 million ballroom project in the same interview, adding, “I could have built the ballroom around it, but it would not have been–we are building one of the greatest balls in the world.”
As for Michelle Obama, she recently took a swipe at Trump’s Ballroom renovation at the White House, for which the East Wing was demolished. During her recent appearance on the Today show, hosted by Jenna Bush Hager, Michelle broke her silence on the East Wing demolition.
“There’s pressure for every first lady, and I don’t think that other families dealt with that kind of criticism. But as you know, the first lady, it’s a strange job. Well, there’s no guidebook… There’s barely any staff. Now we don’t have a building,” Michelle Obama said during her appearance on the show.
In another interview, Michelle cryptically said, “Our view was this is not our house. We are here to do a job. We’re here for a turn. We’re here for a moment. We are caretakers of this history.”
NEW: First Lady Michelle Obama slams Trump for bulldozing the East Wing: “Our view was this is not our house. We are here to do a job. We’re here for a turn. We’re here for a moment. We are caretakers of this history”
RETWEET if you stand with @MichelleObama! pic.twitter.com/TKRBfhZUyj
— Protect Kamala Harris (@DisavowTrump20) November 13, 2025
While most of Trump’s family members, including sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr, defended the East Wing demolition and Trump’s renovation of the Ballroom at the White House, Melania has been rather silent, even though her office, the staff as well as the visitor’s entrance to her office, were all located in that section of the White House wing.
The closest Melania or her office got to addressing the changes at the White House was in a statement announcing that White House Public Tours are slated to reopen in December this year. The statement carried no mention of the East Wing of the White House. The sole architectural change mentioned in the statement was about an “updated route” for the guests.
“The White House will reopen its doors for public tours on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, with an updated route offering guests the opportunity to experience the history and beauty of the People’s House,” the statement from the Office of the First Lady read and as stated above, there was barely a mention of the East Wing.
Amid the roaring controversy surrounding the White House Ballroom and the East Wing, critics and netizens alike have been busy speculating where Melania Trump’s office is currently stationed, especially given the fact that Melania has been largely absent during Donald Trump’s second Presidential term.
