Michelle Obama and Jenna Bush Hager React to Donald Trump’s Surprise East Wing Demolition

Former First Lady Michelle Obama—who knows the White House inside and out after eight years there with her husband, former President Barack Obama—recently shared her thoughts on Donald Trump’s renovation plans. During a Tuesday, Nov. 4 appearance on the Today show, the 61-year-old joked about the former president’s controversial decision to demolish the East Wing to make room for a new ballroom.

Reflecting on her own time as First Lady, Michelle told host Jenna Bush Hager, “There’s pressure for every first lady. The light was a little bit brighter because politics created an other-ness. There were some people who tried to paint everything we did as a sign that we weren’t ready, that we weren’t suited, that we weren’t American enough.”

Michelle, the first Black woman to hold the role, added, “I don’t think other families faced that kind of criticism. But as you know, being First Lady is a strange job.”

Bush Hager—herself no stranger to White House life as the daughter of George W. Bush and Laura Bush—responded, “Well, there’s no guidebook.”

Laughing, Michelle agreed: “There’s no guidebook. There’s barely a staff. Now we don’t have a building!” Bush Hager replied, also laughing, “I know, R.I.P. the East Wing.”

According to The New York Times, Trump initially denied plans to completely tear down the East Wing but later confirmed them through a senior official. The $200 million project will replace the historic structure—once home to Laura Bush’s meetings and official events—with a grand ballroom featuring gold chandeliers, an ornate coffered ceiling, Greek Corinthian columns, and tall, arched windows.

Michelle appeared on Today to promote her new book, The Look, which chronicles her fashion journey and the meaning behind her style during her White House years—a time of both admiration and intense scrutiny.

She shared that she often avoided discussions about fashion while serving as First Lady because she worried it might “take over everything.” The role, she explained, “is a kind of job, non-job. You’re supposed to be inspirational yet accessible, uniquely yourself but also representational. And as a Black woman, I felt I had to make sure people could see my feminine side.”

She reflected on early criticism during her husband’s campaign: “I was being labeled angry, a shrew, demeaning my husband—labels meant to strip me of femininity. I understood that going in, and I didn’t see it as a struggle. I respected the position and took it seriously.”

Michelle noted that while she was famous, she “wasn’t a starlet,” saying, “the clothes could never speak louder than what I had to say.”

These days, Michelle feels more freedom in her personal style, experimenting with her look—including wearing her favorite hairstyle, braids, which she avoided in the White House. “I wasn’t sure whether the country was ready for it,” she said, referencing the CROWN Act, which protects against race-based hair discrimination. “Just like fashion, I didn’t want my hair to become a distraction.”

Now, she embraces the ease and authenticity that comes with the style: “Braids allow me to get them done, and that’s one less thing I have to think about. When I’m out of the public eye, I’m swimming, I’m playing tennis—and braids represent that kind of freedom for me.”