Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has escalated tensions within political circles after publicly insisting that any Democratic candidate seeking the party’s nomination for president in 2028 should commit to demolishing President Donald Trump’s newly constructed ballroom in the White House, Breitbart reports. According to Swalwell, the willingness to destroy this venue should serve as a litmus test, disqualifying any contender unwilling to take a “wrecking ball” to the Trump Ballroom on their first day in office.
The controversy centers on President Trump’s recent addition to the White House: a massive ballroom built where the East Wing once stood. The new structure, reportedly intended for grand events and costing upwards of $250 to $300 million, is funded through a mix of private donations and Trump’s own contributions.
Swalwell’s remarks, posted to his social media account X, sparked what critics have called “Ballroom Derangement Syndrome” or “BDS,” a phrase coined by Trump supporters to characterize intense opposition to the ballroom’s existence. In his post, Swalwell wrote, “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 statement quickly gained attention among political commentators and was highlighted by various media outlets.
The call for demolition has drawn support and further criticism from top Democrats. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) condemned the ballroom’s construction, labeling the destruction of a section of the East Wing as “taking a wrecking ball to our democracy.” Several other Democrats and liberal commentators expressed outrage at the ballroom addition with Chelsea Clinton stating the renovation likened Trump to taking a wrecking ball to history, conveniently ignoring her father’s personal use of the Oval Office with Monica Lewinsky, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) telling reporters that “the project was so the 47th president could be ‘celebrated as if he was a king.’”
According to Breitbart, “White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt first announced the planned construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom in early July. The ballroom will accommodate approximately 650 seated guests and will stay true to the classical design of the White House, she said. In the Obama administration, several state dinners were held in a large tent on the south lawn where guests were required to use portable bathrooms.”
Leavitt dismissed the “fake outrage,” emphasizing that “nearly every single president who has lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own.”
