White House axes panel overseeing Trump’s building plans in Washington

Construction workers continue demolition of part of the East Wing of the White House for the construction of a ballroom in Washington. (EPA Images pic)
WASHINGTON: The White House has fired all six members of an independent federal agency that reviews construction work in Washington, US media reported Tuesday, as President Donald Trump pushes to remodel the capital in his style.
The Commission of Fine Arts was expected to review some of Trump’s current projects, including a new ballroom at the White House and a triumphal arch, according to the Washington Post.
Tuesday’s firing of the panel members, also reported by the New York Times and CNN, removes a potential barrier to the president’s ambitions which architectural historians and political opponents have heavily criticised.
Trump, 79, has enthusiastically embarked on a series of renovation and building projects since returning to power in January.
The Commission of Fine Arts was established by Congress in 1910 and is formed of architects and urban planners. It gives advice on design and preservation in Washington, focusing on government buildings and monuments in the strictly managed area.
White House officials have traditionally sought the agency’s approval, the Washington Post reported, but Trump has ignored such formalities.
Last week, construction crews tore down part of the White House to build a new ballroom. The Republican has also mulled building an arch resembling the famed Arc de Triomphe in Paris across from the Lincoln Memorial.
Calling the White House “one of the most important historic buildings in the United States,” the Society of Architectural Historians issued a statement on Oct 16 expressing “great concern,” adding Trump’s plans for the White House “should follow a rigorous and deliberate design and review process.”
His plans have also drawn backlash from Democrats, including former presidential secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who has accused Trump of “destroying” the White House.
Then-president Joe Biden, a Democrat, had appointed all the now-purged members of the Commission of Fine Arts, having himself removed members appointed by Trump in his first term.
The New York Times reported that the White House would now appoint a new panel aligned with Trump’s policies.
In July, the White House also fired Biden appointees from the National Capital Planning Commission, another urban planning agency. Biden similarly axed Trump nominees in 2021 in an apparent effort to diversify the panel.