Most Americans disapprove of Trump's East Wing demolition, poll shows
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Most U.S. adults disapprove of the demolition of the White House's East Wing, according to a YouGov survey conducted this week.
Why it matters: The Trump administration has been embroiled in backlash since demolition began earlier this week, taking many by surprise as President Trump had previously said the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom "wouldn't interfere" with the current building.
- But yesterday, he defended the construction plans, saying, "In order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure."
By the numbers: According to the survey, just 23% of those polled approved of the East Wing's demolition. 53% said they disapprove, and 24% were not sure, per YouGov.
- Approval and disapproval fall along party lines, with 44% of Republicans approving of the project, compared to 10% of Democrats.
- Among independents, 16% approved and 55% disapproved.
Zoom out: YouGov also asked respondents about their approval of plans to renovate the White House more generally, including building the ballroom and a patio in the Rose Garden.
- 33% of U.S. adults approved these changes, while 50% disapproved.
- 55% of Republicans expressed approval, compared to just 14% of Democrats.
State of play: The ballroom's construction is currently funded by Trump and private donors, but the lack of transparency about the project has raised speculation about whether wealthy donors may funnel money into it to gain favor with the president.
- The cost of the project has only gone up: Initially, the White House said it would cost $200 million, but the total rose to $250 million earlier this month.
- And on Wednesday, Trump estimated "about $300 million" to complete the ballroom.
The big picture: Despite the backlash, renovation and construction projects at the White House are common when a new president takes office, and so is criticism for their choices.
- Every president since 1952 has added new touches to the White House, Axios' Josephine Walker previously reported, but preservation groups have expressed concern about the extent of Trump's remodel.
- The D.C.-based National Trust for Historic Preservation warned that the ballroom "will overwhelm the White House itself," which is about 55,00 square feet.
Go deeper: Here's how the White House has changed over the decades
Methodology: YouGov surveyed 2,038 U.S. adults on Oct. 21. The data has a margin of error of ± 3 percentage points.
