Soon after returning to the White House, President Donald Trump also had its walls gilded â” foolâs good, if the rumours of cheap plastic are true. Now, the MAGA-lomaniac is getting to the really Great part: last week, the East Wing of the domus alba was razed to the ground to make way for a new ballroom â” this, after the reported pledge that the existing structure would only be minimally impacted. And while every president has left his mark on the neoclassical mansion, usually itâs with taste. Trumpâs regal vision conceives a pavilion dwarfing the central residence, nearly doubling its area.
The only physical proof of concept for now is a small white plastic model that looks to be ripped out of some Trump-endorsed edition of The Game of Life â” which wouldnât be so far-fetched. The Game of Life: go to uni, have kids, get ill, fall into debt, stiff contractors, scam investors, tariff nations into submission â” move the little plastic car and throw around toy money for imaginary consequences.
At least in Ancient Rome, Neroâs successors erased his ego-stroking monstrosity. In our time, all that gets paved over is the Rose Garden. Assuming Trump breaks character and doesnât skimp on materials, his self-aggrandising, strongman-giving ballroom is likely to endure, casting its shadow of extravagance over those who follow.
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