Costly construction for a ballroom barely used
Staten Island: The president took it upon himself to renovate a portion of the White House, a property that is owned by the National Park Service and is a National Heritage Site. There are 1,179 days remaining in his presidency. The White House’s value right now is $398 million.
Bill Clinton hosted 23 state dinners during his two-term tenure. George W. Bush hosted six state dinners during his two-term tenure. Barack Obama hosted 13 state dinners during his two-term tenure. During President Trump’s first term, he hosted two state dinners, the first happening 19 months in. Joe Biden hosted six while president, and now so far, Trump has hosted two. State dinners are paid from the presidential budget, whereas official dinners are not. Based on previous data, I don’t think 52 state dinners in a timeframe of 36 years warrants an expenditure of $300 million, which could have served our country in a more altruistic way.
There are 37 donors who contributed $300 million for this project. No single body has the ultimate approval power for this rebuild. The president is exempt from the normal review board.
Donor money for White House alterations is administered by private, nonprofit organizations, with oversight and final decisions falling to the sitting president and the Executive Office of the President. The extent of external oversight from preservation groups and planning commissions varies depending on the administration and the nature of the project. I just don’t get it! Myra Goodman
Palatial impudence
Utica, N.Y.: Two things: 1) Our Founding Fathers deliberately wanted the White House to be small, in contrast to a king’s palace, because they knew the president was not a king and that his residence should be the people’s house! 2) Any builder knows that a skyscraper needs a solid foundation. We all know that Trump has no foundation, no core. So anything he builds is doomed… especially MAGA! Jeff and Joan Ganeles
Can’t dance
Plainview, L.I.: The dictionary simply defines “ballroom” as “a large room for dancing.” Trump has a lot of nerve (balls?) spending $300 million to build himself a ballroom (which he falsely said in July “won’t interfere with the current building… will be near it but not touching it… pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of. It’s my favorite place; I love it”) just to show off his embarrassing, stationary, arm-moves-only dance to the song “Y.M.C.A.” Richard Siegelman
Spread resistance
Manhattan: Tearing down the East Wing for a grand, golden ballroom was one outrage too many for many Americans on both sides of the aisle. Not only are people coming together to resist the Trump regime with the largest peaceful protest in American history, but institutions are finding courage. Seven out of nine universities, including MIT, USC and the University of Arizona, have rejected Trump’s compact to teach propaganda in return for special treatment in research funding. Arts organizations are also stepping up. The Baltimore Museum of Art is showing Black artist Amy Sherald’s exhibit after the allegedly and formerly independent Smithsonian insisted on editing it. Acts of noncompliance by members of the so-called pillars of society weaken support for the autocrat. Everyone has a way to not comply. As much as you can, choose to shop at local businesses instead of billionaire-owned Amazon, Target and Walmart. We’re in this together. Barbara Connolly
Effective advertizing
Chester, N.J.: So Canada ran an anti-tariff ad playing a genuine Ronald Reagan speech in which he condemned tariffs as bad for America. What did Trump do? He threw a “tantrump” and said he was taking his toys home (and no more negotiations, meaning Canada). I have only one question: Why aren’t we running that ad here? David J. Melvin
Deescalate
Glen Burnie, Md.: As a clear punishment for trying to fraudulently shame the Trump administration into abandoning its tariffs on Canadian imports, Trump has slapped an additional 10% on our northern trading partner. What I find bizarre about the Canadian approach to winning the tariff argument is that they replayed Reagan’s out-of-context 1987 radio address saying, “Throughout the world, there’s a growing realization that the way for prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting free and fair competition.” If the Canadian government truly believes in the words of Reagan, why don’t they simply “reject their protectionist legislation” by repealing their tariffs on U.S. goods? Trump’s tariffs are clearly retaliatory. If tariffs are so bad and harmful to economies, why can’t they take the lead? Luana Dunn
Police for the people
Manhattan: Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch is being rightly applauded for refocusing the NYPD on its core mission of protecting the diverse, hard-working residents who make our vibrant city thrive, illustrated by the department’s supportive presence and recognition of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers peacefully and uneventfully exercising our First Amendment rights in the recent No Kings demonstration. We are now facing a threat as never before, with the despot in Washington dictating a calculated, organized scheme to flood New York with masked, lawless shock troops. The raid on Manhattan’s Canal St. portends a continuing escalation that endangers us all — citizen, immigrant, documented and undocumented alike. Tisch, together with Gov. Hochul, N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James and the district attorneys in the five boroughs, must lead our brave and dedicated officers in the face of a would-be tyrant who dreams of lawlessly reducing the greatest city in the world to an armed battlefield. Matthew Schneck
Sentiments of a survivor
Brooklyn: Before referring to my letter about rabbis attacking Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy as “plain antisemitism,” Voicer Alan Rosengarten might be interested in the following information. I am the son of Holocaust survivors who was born in Russia under Joseph Stalin. I lived in displaced persons camps in Germany as a child. Then I lived in Paraguay under the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner because America would not allow my family to enter. And by the way, my entire extended family was murdered by Adolf Hitler before I was born. Clearly, this is not the life of an antisemite. Herman Kolender
Impotent action
Bronx: Re “More than 1,000 rabbis draw a line in the sand” (op-ed, Oct. 26): Jonathan Schulman takes pride in the speed with which 1,000 rabbis across the Jewish spectrum decried the blatant antisemitism abroad in the land. For two years in America, antisemites have harassed Jewish students on campuses, held torchlight marches, and indeed murdered Jews. For two years, Israel has been accused of carrying out a genocide, murdering women and children, and causing a famine in Gaza. For two years, the legitimacy of the state of Israel has been questioned. For two years, we’ve heard “From the river to the sea” and “Globalize the Intifada.” And after two years, finally, a statement! The apotheosis of impotence! The “speed” in which you take such pride is laughable. It’s no wonder that mainline Jewish organizations have lost the respect of the Jewish community at large. Too bloody late! Don Appel
We need experience
Brooklyn: I applaud you on your decision to endorse Andrew Cuomo for mayor. Mamdani is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, whose policies can destroy New York. Mamdani wants to freeze the rent? Bill de Blasio tried that and it failed. Government-run groceries? That has failed in Kansas City — empty shelves, rotting foods. Watch crime go through the roof if Mamdani is elected. Thousands of our police will leave. And Mamdani wouldn’t hire any cops. He wants to empty jails, too. It will be dangerous for all of us. It won’t take too long until I hear people saying, “We should have voted for Cuomo!” Wake up, New York, before it’s too late! This is not a job for a rookie! I have heard of many of Cuomo’s great plans for NYC. The city will prosper under a Mayor Cuomo. I am totally confident. Chaya Lipschutz
Surprising stance
Manhattan: I saw Sunday’s front page endorsing Cuomo for mayor and immediately called my delivery service to complain that they had dropped off the N.Y. Post by mistake. Then I looked over the sports section and realized it was you after all. What happened? Have you gone full Wall Street Journal: great news coverage, wacky editorials? Michael Barnhart
