US Politics
Companies involved in White House ballroom construction are taking their websites offline, report says
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Several companies involved in President Donald Trump’s controversial remodeling of the White House’s East Wing appear to have taken their websites offline amid heavy criticism of the project.
Some pages claim their sites are “undergoing maintenance” or are – fittingly – under construction, while others have tampered down their social and online presence.
Construction on the president’s $300 million ballroom started last week, with workers demolishing the East Wing of the historic building, which has previously housed the office of the first lady.
The move has caused outrage from Democrats and other critics, with a recent poll finding that just 28 percent of U.S. adults support the demolition project, while 56 percent oppose it.
Trucks bearing the logo of EAI Rolloff, a Maryland-based hauling company, were spotted last week taking discarded materials to a scrap yard outside Washington D.C., CBS reports. The company’s website is “Undergoing Routine Maintenance” and currently has no other links available.
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The Independent attempted to contact EAI by phone but received no response at time of writing.
Similarly, the website for ACECO, a Maryland-based demolition company stated that it was “under construction.” Heavy machinery with the ACECO logo was seen leveling parts of the East Wing.
Review site Yelp was reportedly forced to disable comments temporarily for the company’s page, following a deluge of negativity. Some comments remained. “Who gave you permission to touch the property of the American people?” wrote one user.
“Traitors to the United States. They should be ashamed for their destruction of the east wing of the White House. May karma prevail,” wrote another, according to WTOP.
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No additional contact information was available for ACECO.
McCrery Architects, the company announced by Trump as the lead design firm for the project, also now features a severely limited online presence – though its website does feature an image of the ballroom renderings as part of a photo carousel.
The Independent has attempted to contact McCrery via email as the phone mailbox was full.
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But other companies were less shy about their involvement in the White House renovations, with Clark Construction and AECOM, the project’s lead engineering firm, still maintaining their websites.
In a statement to CBS, a spokesperson for Carrier, another publicly traded company involved in the construction, said the company was “honored to provide the new iconic ballroom at the White House with a world-class, energy-efficient HVAC system.”
Lawmakers and some conservatives criticized Trump for moving forward with his ballroom project without federal review, while the administration defended the project as a privately funded, much-needed expansion.
Others argue that Trump’s lavish ballroom renovation exemplifies glaringly misplaced priorities, advancing a costly personal project while millions face food insecurity amid the government shutdown.
