Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) is a very real thing, as we've seen over the last ten years or so, with the Russia collusion hoax, the repeated impeachment efforts, the lawfare campaign against Donald Trump when he was out of office, and the use of the court system to block Trump's agenda in his second term being just a few notable examples that come to mind.
Even if one gave Democrats a fraction of the benefit of the doubt (which we won't) over their various grievances with President Trump's America First agenda, the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the ballroom project currently underway at the White House has added a whole new layer of unhinginess to the mix.
This is despite the fact that White House renovations have been undertaken by presidents from both political parties throughout our country's history, including under both the Obama and Biden administrations.
There have been two lawsuits filed so far over the demolition of the East Wing, one that was filed by a Virginia couple in October but which was voluntarily dismissed, and a more recent one from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which suffered a setback Tuesday when a federal judge denied them the temporary restraining order they sought to halt below-ground construction as the case proceeds through the courts, as we previously reported.
Meanwhile, Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08) announced legislation on Tuesday that effectively confirms that both Trump and the ballroom have broken him:
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland plans to introduce legislation Tuesday that would subject White House renovations like President Trump's ballroom project to the same reviews as other federal projects. Currently, the White House is exempt from certain oversight under the National Historic Preservation Act.
Raskin's bill, called the "People's White House Historic Preservation Act," would require White House renovations to undergo a so-called "Section 106 review," a pre-ground breaking assessment that addresses the impact of renovations on historic buildings and allows the public to weigh in.
[...]
"It's kings who treat public property as private property," Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, told CBS News in a phone interview. "It's not his house; it's our house. And if there is going to be construction and renovation expansion or changes, that should go through a regular public process."
The White House is not private property. It does not belong to Donald Trump. It belongs to the people.
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) December 16, 2025
I’m introducing legislation to protect the building’s historic character against the president’s bulldozer and Marie Antoinette ballroom. https://t.co/IwLgSCS5zT
This is just TDS on steroids. What's the Trump administration supposed to do? Rebuild the East Wing until this all gets sorted out?
Prior to demolition starting, I was seeing even some on the left talk about how a ballroom was needed to accommodate a larger number of guests at the White House for state dinners, etc. Further, it's not just going to be used by Trump. Future presidents obviously will also be able to use it to host their guests. It's also not being funded by taxpayers, which honestly is kinda nice.
can you show us the legislation you've drafted over the years complaining about other presidents' renovations?
— Joe Pags Pagliarulo (@JoeTalkShow) December 17, 2025
I can't find it.
I just think with everything going on in this country, hyper-focusing on halting much-needed renovations to the White House is just petty and small. Then again, this is Jamie Raskin we're talking about here, so none of us should be too surprised.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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