The Trump administration is taunting Democratic critics who slammed President Donald Trump’s plan to build a ballroom at the White House by unveiling a “major events timeline” on the official White House website — one that includes some of the biggest controversies to hit previous Democratic administrations.
Fox News notes that as of Thursday, the White House’s online timeline details key moments in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue’s history, dating back to 1791, when plans for the presidential residence were first conceived. It lists major structural milestones such as the addition of the north portico (1829–1830), the construction of the Oval Office under President William Howard Taft in 1909, and the complete interior renovation carried out during the Truman administration.
But alongside these historical benchmarks are several entries spotlighting scandals tied to Democratic leaders. A slide titled “2023: Cocaine Discovered” reads: “During Biden’s administration, a U.S. Secret Service agent discovered a small, zippered plastic bag containing cocaine in the West Wing entrance lobby.” It continues, “Speculation has pointed to Hunter Biden, an admitted drug user. Additional evidence includes a laptop, seized in 2019, which contains photos of frequent drug use alongside emails about foreign business dealings (Ukraine, China) involving his father, Joe, while he was Vice President.”
Other slides cite former President Bill Clinton’s 1998 affair with Monica Lewinsky and former President Barack Obama’s 2012 decision to invite a Muslim Brotherhood delegation to the White House.
The “1998: Bill Clinton Scandal” entry states, “President Bill Clinton's affair with intern Monica Lewinsky was exposed, leading to White House perjury investigations. The Oval Office trysts fueled impeachment for obstruction.”
A separate entry titled “2012: Muslim Brotherhood Visit” says Obama hosted “member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that promotes Islamist extremism and has ties to Hamas. The Muslim Brotherhood is a designated terrorist organization by nearly a dozen nations.”
Another timeline item criticizes the Biden administration for celebrating International Transgender Day of Visibility on the same date as Easter in 2024. “2023–2024: The Biden/Harris administration hosts transsexuals at the White House in 2023, and goes on to establish the ‘The Transgender Day of Visibility’ on the same day as Easter Sunday in 2024,” the slide reads.
The updated timeline was posted amid Democratic outrage over Trump’s privately funded ballroom project. The 90,000-square-foot addition will reportedly host up to 650 seated guests, and the administration says it will not cost taxpayers a dime.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton blasted the plan on X, writing, “It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also chimed in: “Oh you’re trying to say the cost of living is skyrocketing? Donald Trump can’t hear you over the sound of bulldozers demolishing a wing of the White House to build a new grand ballroom.”
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., posted a photo of his family outside the White House, saying, “We didn’t need a billionaire-funded ballroom to celebrate America. Disgusting what Trump is doing.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the project on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime”Tuesday, noting that presidents have long wanted a larger event space.
“Nearly every single president who’s lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own,” Leavitt said. “In fact, presidents for decades — in modern times — have joked about how they wished they had a larger event space here at the White House, something that could hold hundreds more people than the current East Room and State Dining Room.”
She added that even former President Barack Obama had expressed frustration that he “had to hold a state dinner on the South Lawn and rent a very expensive tent.”
White House Mocks Democrats Over Ballroom Backlash — Highlights Cocaine, Clinton, and Obama Scandals in Official Timeline
The Trump administration is trolling Democrats over their objection to President Donald Trump's White House ballroom construction. (Getty Images)