Extreme Makeover: White House Edition

Today, Explained

President Trump demolished part of the White House to make room for a lavish new ballroom. The gold and glitz is part of a broader rebranding project for an America in Trump's image.

This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Adriene Lilly, and hosted by Noel King.

Trump has been rolling out plans to renovate the White House and beyond. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠

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President Trump demolished part of the White House to make room for a lavish new ballroom. The gold and glitz is part of a broader rebranding project for an America in Trump's image.

This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Adriene Lilly, and hosted by Noel King.

Trump has been rolling out plans to renovate the White House and beyond. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2025-10-27 26 min

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