Josh Hawley turns tables on CNN reporter when asked if Trump White House renovation is destroying history

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., reminded liberals Wednesday of how many of them wanted historical artifacts destroyed when he was asked about President Donald Trump tearing down the East Wing of the White House.

CNN reporter Manu Raju pressed Hawley on Trump tearing down a portion of the White House complex this week to begin construction on a new ballroom for the building. The reporter suggested that Trump was demolishing a precious historical edifice in the process, to which Hawley replied that the far left have supported the destruction of statues of U.S. historical figures in recent years. 

“I made this point yesterday, that I hear all of a sudden from my liberal friends that they’re very concerned about our history. Really? These are the same people who tore down every statue they could get their hands on in the last four years,” the lawmaker said.

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Construction crews began demolition work on the East Wing facade on Monday as part of the planned ballroom project. Historic-preservation groups, some lawmakers, and social media users voiced immediate criticism following images of the demolition.

The White House did issue a statement defending the demolition, saying the new ballroom is a privately funded addition meant to “echo the storied history of improvements and additions by presidents to the executive residence.” The statement called criticism “unhinged” and accused media outlets of over-reacting.

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On the topic of the building’s significance, Raju asked Hawley, “What about just uprooting the — you know — this is an iconic building?”

Hawley said he was not troubled by the demolition and argued that critics on the left lacked credibility, pointing to past efforts to remove monuments of U.S. historical figures amid racial-justice protests.

He pointed to how the riots sprung from the George Floyd protests in 2020 defaced and destroyed monuments to the United States’ historical figures. 

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“Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt. They didn’t have any concern for history then. Now all of a sudden, they’re like, ‘Oh, the facade of the East Wing is iconic,'” Hawley said. “Oh, give me a break. I mean, give me a break.”