Rushdie Says He Looks Forward to Day Trump’s Ballroom and Triumphal Arch Come Down

WASHINGTON,: Author Salman Rushdie has sharply criticised President Donald Trump’s building projects, saying he looks forward to the day the new White House ballroom and the proposed Triumphal Arch in Washington are removed.
In an interview with Geordie Greig, editor-in-chief of Britain’s The Independent, Rushdie said he is waiting for a time when Trump is out of power and the structures built under him are taken down. He described such a moment as symbolising the end of Trump’s political legacy.
The administration is building the ballroom on the site of the demolished East Wing. Reports say the project has grown to a roughly 90,000-square-foot complex, including a ballroom of about 22,000 square feet, with recent estimates of the cost reaching about $600 million. The National Trust for Historic Preservation had sought to halt construction, but a Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for work to continue.
The second project is a proposed 250-foot arch near Memorial Circle, close to Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, presented as a monument for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. On Sept 20, Trump announced the arch would also serve as a military complex housing drones, sniper units and ammunition. Some former service members, preservation advocates and other critics have questioned its location, its effect on historic views and its military use, and legal challenges are ongoing. The administration links both projects to national heritage and future needs.