Gavin Newsom Makes Perfect Analogy After Photos Of Trump Tearing Down Part Of White House Emerge

California Governor Gavin Newsom said President Donald Trump is doing to the White House what he's doing to the U.S. Constitution after photos of construction on the White House to build his new ballroom went viral

Earlier this week, The Washington Post published photos showing construction crews demolishing parts of the East Wing, actions that have stunned preservationists and fueled criticism that Trump was overstepping his authority to advance a personal project. A White House spokesperson said the administration plans to “modernize and rebuild” the East Wing in its entirety.

However, that claim has received pushback from the National Trust for Historic Preservation—a nonprofit chartered by Congress to safeguard historic sites—which warned that the proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom “will overwhelm the White House itself,” which measures roughly 55,000 square feet.

You can see a photo below of the ongoing demolition.

In response, Newsom took to X and wrote that Trump is:

"Ripping apart the White House just like he's ripping apart the Constitution."

You can see his post below.

Many agreed.

White House officials brushed off the criticism as “manufactured outrage,” noting that previous presidents had also made alterations to the executive campus when needed. They argued that the privately-funded ballroom would be a “bold, necessary addition” to the presidential grounds.

Trump has long promoted the idea of building a grand ballroom, saying it would allow presidents to host large-scale events.

In July, he assured that the planned expansion would not interfere with the existing structure of the White House:

“It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it but not touching it — and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of. It’s my favorite. It’s my favorite place. I love it.”

On Monday, the Treasury Department instructed employees not to photograph or share images of the White House construction without authorization, according to a person familiar with an internal email who spoke to The Washington Post.

The Treasury building sits adjacent to the White House, with some offices offering clear views of the East Wing. However, because the areas overlooking the demolition are closed to the public, critics said the restriction only deepened concerns about the Trump administration’s lack of transparency.