President Donald Trump’s White House has rolled out a new “Major Events Timeline” on its website, highlighting the administration’s controversial renovations while taking sharp digs at former presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton.
The timeline was posted this week amid criticism over the demolition of the historic East Wing to make room for Trump’s privately funded $300 million ballroom.
Social media posts from the White House, shared on Instagram and X, added a sarcastic touch, captioned “WH.GOV/Renovations” and featuring hand and nail polish emojis.
The timeline begins with “Design Plans Commence,” referencing President George Washington’s selection of the White House site in 1791. It then highlights historic additions, such as the West Wing in 1902 under Theodore Roosevelt and the Oval Office in 1909 under William Howard Taft.
But the timeline quickly shifts into pointed political commentary. For 1998, it lists “Bill Clinton Scandal,” stating, “President Bill Clinton’s affair with intern Monica Lewinsky was exposed, leading to White House perjury investigations. The Oval Office trysts fueled impeachment for obstruction.” A photo of Clinton and Lewinsky accompanies the entry.
The year 2012 is referenced in the headline “Muslim Brotherhood Visit.”
The description reads, “[President Barack] Obama hosts members of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that promotes Islamist extremism and has ties to Hamas. The Muslim Brotherhood is a designated terrorist organization by nearly a dozen nations.”
The timeline also calls out Joe Biden’s administration, as People Magazine reported.
In 2023, the entry reads “Cocaine Discovered” and features a photo of Hunter Biden slouched shirtless in a bathtub with a cigarette. The text states, “During Biden’s administration, a U.S. Secret Service agent discovered a small, zippered plastic bag containing cocaine in the West Wing entrance lobby.”
Trump’s East Wing renovations have drawn criticism from historians and former White House staff. The president originally said construction would “not interfere with the current building,” but crews began demolition on October 20 to make way for a grand ballroom. Trump described the move to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, saying, “We determined that, after really a tremendous amount of study with some of the best architects in the world, we determined that really knocking it down [was best].”
The East Wing, which housed the first lady’s office since 1977, has been a flashpoint for critics. Former first lady Hillary Clinton and Jack Schlossberg, grandson of Jacqueline Kennedy and former President John F. Kennedy, have condemned the demolition. The timeline and social media posts appear designed to deflect criticism by drawing attention to scandals of previous administrations.
The White House’s timeline offers a mix of historical record and pointed political messaging, framing Trump’s renovations as part of a larger legacy while highlighting controversies of his predecessors.
The timeline’s entries, paired with bold captions and images, make clear the administration’s intention to control the narrative amid public pushback on the $300 million East Wing project.
