Years before Donald Trump launched his first campaign for the presidency, Barack Obama once joked that the business mogul would likely stamp his name across the White House if given the chance.
Now, as Trump, 79, oversees plans to demolish the East Wing and replace it with a $300 million ballroom, that quip from Obama’s 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner sounds more like foresight than humor.
Back then, Obama, 64, took the podium on an April evening filled with political jabs, many aimed directly at Trump. The businessman had spent months promoting the false claim that Obama was born in Kenya — not Hawaii — and therefore was ineligible to serve as president. To end the speculation, Obama publicly released his birth certificate, then turned the controversy into comedy.
“He can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter,” Obama teased, “like, did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?”
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He continued the roast by sarcastically commending Trump’s “breadth of experience,” referencing his role on Celebrity Apprentice: “These are the kinds of decisions that would keep me up at night.”
“Say what you will about Mr. Trump,” Obama went on, “he certainly would bring some change to the White House.” He then cued up a photoshopped image of a redesigned presidential mansion — transformed into a towering complex emblazoned with “TRUMP” in massive gold letters. Beneath it, “The White House” appeared in bright purple, the property labeled as a hotel, casino, and golf course with a presidential suite.
In the parody rendering, two women lounged in bikini tops beside the fountain, cocktails in hand, while the building’s exterior glittered with gold pillars and a chandelier — a vision now echoed in Trump’s real-life aesthetic at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
While there’s still no casino or golf course attached to the White House, Trump has undeniably left his personal touch since returning to power in January. The Rose Garden lawn has been paved over for a patio dining area, gold accents have appeared throughout the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, and new marble floors, chandeliers, and self-portraits have replaced the more traditional décor — even where Obama’s portrait once hung.
Those familiar with the renovations say they’re designed to make the residence feel more like Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Palm Beach club and longtime home. “Anytime Melania and Donald can make the White House feel more like Mar-a-Lago, they will,” one club member said. “They love Mar-a-Lago. Donald personally created much of its current décor and takes pride in it.”
Trump’s newest undertaking — a 90,000-square-foot ballroom to replace the East Wing — will reportedly bear his name and measure nearly twice the size of the main residence itself. Initially, the administration had promised to expand, not demolish, the East Wing, but those plans quietly shifted. On Monday, Oct. 20, construction crews began tearing down the Roosevelt-era building, which has since been completely razed.
