Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner stated Tuesday that he intends to keep a piece of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom as a paperweight, envisioning its demolition in an "official ceremony." Krasner made the comments while speaking at George Washington's historic home in Philadelphia during the city's annual slavery commemoration.
"In about 10 to 15 years, we are all going to be sitting here with smiles on our faces," Krasner said, according to video footage. "And I'm going to have a paperweight sitting on my desk. And do you know what that paper weight's going to be? It's going to be a piece of the ballroom after we blow it up."
Krasner was referencing a dispute over changes made by the Trump administration to exhibits at the President's House site in Philadelphia. Under a March executive order titled, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," the National Park Service replaced panels detailing the history of George Washington's slaves with broader displays of U.S. history. A legal challenge by the city resulted in a federal appeals court siding with the federal government, ruling that Philadelphia lacked the legal standing to dictate the content of displays at the federally owned site.
Despite the legal setback for the city, Krasner expressed continued defiance. "This memorial will be here, the educational content will be here," he stated. "But let me tell you what will not be here. There will not be a ballroom."
He further clarified that the envisioned demolition would occur in an official ceremony, with taxpayers' money potentially recouped by selling salvaged pieces as paperweights. "I'm gonna have one on my desk," Krasner added.
The White House responded to Krasner's remarks through spokesperson Davis Ingle, who stated, "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. 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."
When contacted by Fox News Digital, U.S. Secret Service Lead Public Affairs Specialist Nate Herring said, "The U.S. Secret Service investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees. Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence."
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