Michelle Obama didn’t hold back during a light-hearted segment on NBC’s “Today with Jenna & Friends,” where she discussed the controversial demolition of the White House East Wing by President Donald Trump.
Promoting her new book, “The Look,” the former first lady sat down with co-host Jenna Bush Hager, reminiscing about her White House years while tossing in a sharp jab at the recent changes.
“There’s no guidebook,” Obama said, reflecting on the unpredictable demands of her former role. “There’s barely a staff. Now we don’t have a building,” she added, poking fun at the uproar that followed Trump’s decision to replace the historic East Wing with a $250 million ballroom. The project has ignited a storm of criticism from Democrats who view the move as erasure of a landmark part of White House tradition.
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Jenna Bush Hager, whose father served as president before the Obamas, responded in kind. “I know, R.I.P. the East Wing,” she quipped. The space formerly served as home to the first lady’s office and support staff, including during Obama’s eight-year tenure.
The backlash didn’t stop with Obama. Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea were among those who condemned the demolition when the news broke last month. However, the Trump administration defended the redesign as a modern, privately funded enhancement, calling critics “unhinged leftists” while touting the ballroom as a “bold, necessary addition.”
Obama also addressed the heightened scrutiny her family faced during their time in Washington.
“The light was a little bit brighter because politics created an otherness. There were some people who tried to paint everything we did as a sign that we weren’t ready, that we weren’t suited, that we weren’t American enough,” she reportedly stated. “And I don’t think that other families dealt with that kind of criticism. But as you know, the first lady, it’s a strange job.”
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Though this newest transformation of the White House triggered online fury, officials were quick to note that significant renovations have precedent. They pointed to Theodore Roosevelt’s construction of the West Wing, Barack Obama’s installation of a basketball court, and Bill Clinton’s restoration efforts as examples of presidential influence on the residence’s evolution.
