‘This Is the People’s House!’ ABC’s Mary Bruce Spars With Karoline Leavitt Over East Wing Demolition for Trump Ballroom

ABC’s Mary Bruce sparred with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt over the demolition of the White House’s East Wing for President Donald Trump’s new ballroom on Thursday.

Leavitt took a number of questions about the construction project during Thursday’s briefing, including a couple from Bruce:

BRUCE: Two quick construction questions, if I can. You mentioned any construction project comes with changes. The president had initially said that this project wouldn’t interfere with, or touch the current structure. Now he says to do this properly, he realized that the East Wing had to be demolished. This is the people’s house. Why not inform the public of that change and when it was decided that the East Wing would have to be demolished?

LEAVITT: Look, again, with any construction project, changes come and we have informed all of you. We’ve been keeping you apprised of this project. We’ve shown you the renderings. And if you look at the renderings, it’s very clear the East Wing was going to be modernized. In fact, I said that in the briefing when we initially introduced this plan to all of you and to the public. The East-

BRUCE: But modernizing and tearing down are two different things.

LEAVITT: Well, again, the president-, the plans changed when the president heard counsel from the architects and the construction companies who said that in order for this East Wing to be modern and beautiful for many, many years to come, for it to be a truly strong and stable structure, this phase one that we’re now in was necessary. And the president wants to do right by the people’s house. And so that’s exactly what he’s doing. It’s going to be, again, like I said, much more stable, strong, secure, and more beautiful than ever once it’s complete.

BRUCE: Where will those be? The First Lady’s offices, the Social Secretary’s offices in the east — they will be back where they were?

LEAVITT: Yes.

Watch above via Fox News.