Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is drawing ridicule online after calling on all 2028 Democratic presidential candidates to pledge that they will demolish Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom if elected — a demand that many are mocking as a symptom of what they’ve coined “Ballroom Derangement Syndrome” (BDS).
Swalwell made the declaration Saturday night in a post on X, writing, “Don’t even think of seeking the Democratic nomination for president unless you pledge to take a wrecking ball to the Trump Ballroom on DAY ONE.”
The comment instantly went viral, as conservatives seized on it as another example of the left’s disproportionate and unreasonable reactions to the president. “BDS” — a new twist on the familiar “Trump Derangement Syndrome” — trended on social media over the weekend, amplified by right-leaning commentators and Fox News hosts.
The Ballroom That Launched a Firestorm
The controversy revolves around Trump’s plan to add a 90,000-square-foot ballroom to the White House, designed to host official functions, state dinners, and major public events.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the project in July, explaining that it would remain consistent with the classical design of the original mansion. The venue is expected to hold about 650 seated guests and cost between $250 million and $300 million, financed through a mix of Trump’s personal contributions and private donations.
Leavitt dismissed criticism from Democrats as “fake outrage,” pointing out that “nearly every single president who has lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own.”
For comparison, state dinners during the Obama administration were frequently held under large temporary tents on the South Lawn, with guests using portable restrooms — a setup Trump aides reportedly want to end permanently.
Democrats Sound Off
Still, leading Democrats have vocally condemned the ballroom plans.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) told MSNBC’s The Weeknight that “the demolition of a section of the East Wing is taking a wrecking ball to our democracy.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said the project reflects “his desire to be celebrated as if he were a king.” Hillary Clinton reportedly began fundraising on the issue. Chelsea Clinton lamented that the renovation “demeans the stature of the White House.”
Republicans, meanwhile, have largely shrugged off the criticism.
Voters Divided — Like Everything Else
A New York Times feature found that public reaction to the ballroom plan mirrors the nation’s broader political split. Supporters of Trump see it as a sensible and long-overdue improvement for hosting dignitaries. Critics view it as an unnecessary extravagance designed to glorify the president himself.
Whether or not construction proceeds on schedule, the “Trump Ballroom” has already become a new proxy battlefield in America’s endless culture war.
READ NEXT: Entire East Wing To Be ‘Modernized’ For New White House Ballroom, Administration Says
Are you going to also destroy what 13 other Presidents have done over the years? Moron!
Like a damn kid
You can not fix stupid!
Just rename it the”FangFang room”.
Once again Swallwell shows how f-ing stupid he is. Hate, hate, hate. That is all the democrats are capable of.
Instead of a ballroom, the Democrats could build a nice homeless shelter, a free clinic for substance abusers or free abortions, or a welfare benefits office for illegal immigrants. So many ideas and so much of other people’s money.
Nothing short of treason, because you will use citizens taxes to destroy it. its construction has been donated and not one citizen is paying for it.
All you’ve demonstrated is petty vengeance for anything Trump! It isn’t the ball-room you you’re mad at. Ir could just as well have been a hospital he’s building.
You’d still want to destroy it, because it’s Trump!!!!!!!!
It just so happens the majority of U.S. citizens (that majority who LEGALLY voted Trump in) LIKE the ballroom!!!
So put that in your pipe and smoke it Mr. Carvel!