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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
David Smith in Washington

Trump’s ballroom blitz sparks chorus of disgust: ‘The perfect symbol’

a backhoe demolishing a building
Heavy machinery tears down a section of the East Wing of the White House as construction begins on Donald Trump's planned ballroom. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

When Barack Obama roasted Donald Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, the icing on the cake was a cartoon illustration of what the White House might look like if Trump ever became US president.

The name “Trump” was emblazoned across the top in giant capital letters, followed by “the White House” in lurid purple cursive, then “hotel • casino • golf course” and “presidential suite”. The parody imagined gold pillars, a giant crystal chandelier and two scantily clad women sitting at reception.

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