During a tense CNN exchange Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, (R-MO), turned the tables on a reporter questioning President Donald Trump’s decision to renovate part of the White House. CNN’s Manu Raju asked whether the demolition of the East Wing facade to make room for a new ballroom was “destroying history.”
Hawley shot back by reminding critics of the left’s recent push to tear down American monuments. “I hear all of a sudden from my liberal friends that they’re very concerned about our history. Really? These are the same people who tore down every statue they could get their hands on in the last four years,” he said.
Construction began Monday, sparking backlash from preservation groups and some lawmakers. The White House defended the move, calling the ballroom a privately funded addition that would “echo the storied history of improvements and additions by presidents to the executive residence.” The statement blasted media criticism as “unhinged.”
When Raju pressed again on whether the demolition uproots an “iconic building,” Hawley didn’t hold back. Citing the destruction of statues of Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt during the 2020 riots, he scoffed, “They didn’t have any concern for history then. Now, all of a sudden, they’re like, ‘Oh, the facade of the East Wing is iconic.’ Oh, give me a break.”
Hawley’s sharp rebuttal captured conservative frustration with what many see as selective outrage from the media and the left.
