Morning Joe Hosts Shred ‘Painful’ White House East Wing Demolition: ‘History Torn to Shreds’

Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski slammed President Donald Trump’s “grotesque” partial demolition of the White House’s East Wing, protesting to the president that he doesn’t own the property and that he was tearing “history” to “shreds.”

Construction crews began work on Monday to rip down areas of a covered entryway to make space for Trump’s $250 million White House ballroom, despite having previously said the addition would be “near” the existing structure but would not change it. The East Wing, added to the White House complex in 1902 and last renovated in 1942, is one of the building’s most significant architectural expansions.

As images of the demolition work circulated online, the Morning Joe crew reacted to the scenes at the top of Tuesday’s show.

Scarborough began: “ We’re fortunate to have scenes, this morning, in front of the facade of the White House that is not being obliterated as Donald Trump, who promised that he was not going to take a wrecking ball to the existing structure, has taken a wrecking ball to existing structure.”

As the co-hosts shook their heads, he continued: “I’m going to say, Mika, it is hard to watch that. And it’s hard to believe that any president could destroy the White House and take a wrecking ball to an existing structure so historic. That is what’s happening. It would be one thing if you were building on or you were doing things inside, but to take literally a wrecking ball to the White House – It’s grotesque. Just grotesque!”

“Yeah. And this after the rose garden and I guess the patio that they have put in,” Brzezinski added: “Which you could argue –”

“Well, far different, yeah,” Scarborough replied.

Brzezinski continued: “But I mean, this is painful. I mean, this historic structure.”

Scarborough rounded again: “It’s history being torn to shreds. And again is everybody – I mean, so if somebody wants to go into the White House, the next person wants to just knock down all the walls and turn it into a disco, Congress can’t do anything? I mean. Seriously, you’re destroying, like, one of the most historic structures on the planet.”

Brzezinski agreed: “Yeah. And the cost.”

Her co-host continued: “And are we saying that whoever we elect president has the right to destroy? Like what? What? Just just tear things up? Tear it to the ground and just turn it into something else? Kind of crazy.”

“I don’t think – it’s not your home that you purchased in Jersey,” Brzezinski jabbed.

“No, it’s not yours, you rent it from the American people for four years,” Scarborough said, before the show moved on.

Watch above via MSNBC.