Nancy Brinker used her first Newsmax column in three years to … praise President Trump’s excessive White House ballroom? No, really. From her Nov. 10 column:
When you are welcoming foreign delegations – when you are showcasing the United States – you want to do so in a building that reflects dignity, tradition, and functional adequacy.
It’s worth underscoring that, historically, the White House complex has always evolved, from its landscaping to its artwork, from furnishings to the very footprint of its wings.
The fact is: no president has simply accepted the building as frozen in time.
[…]Critics have dismissed the idea of a “ballroom” for state functions and ceremonies. But in my view, such a space need not be defined by that label.
Not every event has to be a ball.
This could and should be a multiuse, welcoming venue for diplomacy, dialogue, and policy.
All this, by the way, comes via her tenure as “Chief of Protocol of the United States during the George W. Bush administration.” Brinker did surprisingly allow room for dispute:
If the design and construction can proceed without public expense, that is a model of civic partnership worth emulating.
That said, and as someone with a deep respect for the history, symbolism, craftsmanship, and modest scale of the White House, I believe caution is warranted.
When renovations change the character of historic buildings too dramatically, they risk eroding the intangible qualities of place that foreign dignitaries note: elegance, proportion, legacy.
A balance must be struck between functional modernization and respect for centuries of architectural precedent.
Given that Trump demolished the entire East Wing to make room for his ballroom, it’s safe to say he doesn’t care about “centuries of architectural precedent.” Still, she concluded:
In that spirit, I welcome the initiative by President Trump to expand the White House’s capacity for events, and to do so with a forward-looking view.
I hope that the execution reflects the best traditions of the Office: architectural restraint, historical continuity, respect for the many presidents and first ladies who preceded him, and a facility worthy of hosting the world, and reflecting America at its best.
Again, this is not something Trump appears to care about, given his secretive plans. Brinker joins rellow Newsmax columnnist Jim Renacci in dubiously defending the ballroom.