Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner recently stated that he anticipates taking a piece of Donald Trump's renovated White House ballroom as a "paperweight" after its destruction. Krasner, who has received significant financial backing from billionaire George Soros, made these remarks during the 24th annual slavery commiseration event held at the President's House in Old City.
Krasner criticized Trump's administration for a recent alteration to the President's House exhibit. The exhibit, which previously focused on the history of slavery in Philadelphia, was revised to place more emphasis on the mansion itself and its occupant, George Washington. Krasner described Trump as "a pain in the a**" and "the embodiment of hate, the embodiment of ignorance, and the embodiment of depriving people of their vote and education."
He expressed a belief that future generations would remember the historical significance of the site rather than the new ballroom, which he suggested would not be a point of attraction. "What is going to be happening is that in about 10 to 15 years, we are all going to be sitting here with smiles on our faces because we, thanks to Michael and all of you, will have won. They will have lost," Krasner said.
He elaborated on his desire for a souvenir from the ballroom, envisioning an "official, official ceremony" where the ballroom would be demolished and its pieces sold as paperweights to taxpayers. "And I'm going to have a paperweight sitting on my desk. And do you know what that paperweight's going to be? It's going to be a piece of the ballroom after we blow it up," he told the audience.
The Supreme Court had previously placed a pause on renovations to the White House ballroom, but construction has since been permitted to continue. The Trump administration has stated that the ballroom's redesign is intended to provide a safer venue for large-scale official gatherings and state visits, particularly in light of alleged attempts on Trump's life during his second White House term.
White House officials responded to Krasner's comments, stating, "President Trump continues to implement long-overdue and necessary renovations to beautify the People’s House as we approach our great Nation’s 250th anniversary of independence." They added, "Thanks to the Builder-in-Chief, the White House will be properly glorified and remain in excellent condition for generations to come. Only people who suffer from a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome would find a problem with that."
In a separate but related matter, Trump is also reportedly seeking to have a greater influence over the Kennedy Center, a national cultural institution honoring former President John F. Kennedy. Trump's name was initially added to the building's exterior, but a subsequent court ruling deemed this renaming illegal. However, a board recently voted again to approve a modified inscription of Trump's name on the building. The Trump administration has argued that the removal of the president's name could lead to a loss of donor funding for the cultural center, potentially necessitating its demolition and replacement with a different structure.