My niece is an architect and this is her explanation to me about the destruction at the White House:

[dweller]

16. Found this on a FB post

The President of the United States cannot make major structural changes to the White House without congressional approval — at least not if those changes involve federal funds, historical preservation, or permanent alterations.

Here’s how it breaks down:

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🏛️ 1. Ownership and control
• The White House is federal property, maintained by the National Park Service (NPS).
• It’s not the president’s personal residence — it’s a public building and a national historic site.
• Any structural, architectural, or historic changes fall under federal preservation laws.

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💰 2. Funding and approval
• Congress controls the budget. Any construction, expansion, or major renovation must be funded and approved through congressional appropriations.
• The president cannot unilaterally allocate federal funds for construction.
• Example: Truman’s major White House reconstruction (1948–1952) was authorized and funded by Congress.

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⚙️ 3. What the president can do

The president does have leeway for:
• Cosmetic or temporary changes (furnishings, paint colors, décor)
• Private funding for small non-structural updates, as long as they comply with NPS guidelines
• Security-related upgrades, though even those usually involve congressional notification and oversight

4. What the president cannot do
• Add or remove major structures (wings, floors, extensions)
• Demolish or rebuild without approval
• Ignore the National Historic Preservation Act or Architect of the Capitol oversight


Can’t vouch for veracity
But who is going to stop him ?

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