Former President Joe Biden has criticized Donald Trump over his White House renovations, including the demolition of the East Wing and the gold-heavy decor in the Oval Office. Biden said he viewed the projects as attempts to create personal monuments to Trump rather than improvements that serve the country.
Joe Biden criticizes Donald Trump’s East Wing demolition and gold Oval Office decor
In an exclusive interview with People at his home in Delaware, Biden was asked about the changes Trump has made to the White House. The former president criticized Trump’s decision to tear down the East Wing to make way for a ballroom.
“Almost as disturbing as the gold bars on the walls of the White House and the Oval Office,” Biden said. “I mean, what the hell are we talking about? I find it disturbing.”
He went on to question Trump’s intentions behind the construction projects. He commented, “I’ve viewed the president’s judgment in tearing down the East Wing and a number of other things as nothing more than to try to create monuments to himself: ‘I built that.’” Biden added, “I find it beneath the country.”
Trump’s renovations have extended beyond the ballroom. He replaced the Rose Garden lawn with a paved patio and oversaw the installation of a new helipad on the South Lawn. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy redesigned the Rose Garden during President John F. Kennedy’s administration.
Trump has also proposed building a large triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery. The project has drawn objections over its potential impact on the surrounding memorial landscape. The Kennedy family’s reported concerns about views of its gravesites and the eternal flame should be attributed to a specific source before publication.
Biden also reflected on what he missed most about living in the presidential residence. It is the staff who work behind the scenes.
“They’re good people, from the people making sure there’s a sheet on the bed to the people who are taking care of all the visitors that come through,” he told People. “They all have a sense of honor, what they’re doing in the White House. It’s the ‘People’s House.’”
The interview also touched on Biden’s upcoming memoir, Promise Me, America, scheduled for publication on November 17. He discussed life after leaving office and his experience living with stage 4 prostate cancer.
