Grandma's Shaking Her Head: A Monument to WHAT, Now?

Honestly, sometimes these young folks and their grand ideas! Back in my day, a monument was a statue in a park, or perhaps a grand old library dedicated to someone truly special. Not… well, not a ballroom, bless its heart, no matter how shiny.

Imagine, sitting down with the President, and he rolls out plans for a "big, beautiful ballroom." Jesse Watters said it’s four times the size of the White House! Four times, darling! I nearly fainted!

Who needs a ballroom that's bigger than the actual White House? Is he planning to host the entire world in there, dancing the foxtrot? It sounds like something straight out of a Hollywood picture, not our nation's capital.

It just makes you wonder, doesn't it? What on earth are they thinking with these things? I suppose a big party hall is more appealing than, say, a quiet reading nook for all those important papers.

Alright, Let's Get Our Facts Straight (as much as we can with all this hullabaloo!)

Now, putting aside the dramatic whispers for a moment, let's talk about the cold, hard facts, shall we? This ballroom, which sounds like something out of a fairytale, is indeed being built. It's going up where the old East Wing used to be, bless its quiet little heart.

President Trump himself announced the updated price tag just recently, at a Hanukkah reception no less. He said it's now going to cost a whopping $400 million! (Can you believe that? Four hundred million! For a dance floor!) That's quite a jump from what they first estimated, you see.

The good news, I suppose, is that it's all being funded by private donors, with President Trump even chipping in a bit himself. So, at least it's not coming directly from our Medicare, right? Though, one still wonders about such extravagance.

A federal judge, bless their reasonable soul, has apparently given the green light for construction to continue. And they say it'll all be ready by summer 2028. Just in time for another grand party, I imagine.

But you know, dear, a former Chief White House Historian, someone who truly understands these things, said the Founding Fathers would be

by this whole "palace" makeover. And frankly, sweetie, I'm inclined to agree. My goodness, what times we live in!

Honestly, I Just Can't Even With All This Modern Nonsense!

Oh, sweetie, sometimes I just want to sit down with a cup of chamomile and pretend none of this is happening. A monument to oneself in the White House? A ballroom four times the size? Four hundred million dollars?

It's enough to make a grandma sigh, really. Back in my day, presidents focused on fixing the roads and making sure everyone had a decent supper. Not building grand dance halls for themselves.

I mean, what's next? A roller coaster in the Rose Garden? A giant gilded statue of himself in the Oval Office? (Don't even give them ideas, I know!)

It’s all just a bit much for an old gal like me to take in. I suppose I'll just sit here, sip my tea, and wonder what other peculiar stories will come out next. Bless their hearts, they certainly keep us talking, don't they?