Most First Ladies Remain Mum on the Demolished East Wing

As renovation moves ahead, Jill Biden staffers speak of the loss and the former first lady’s dedication to working in the East Wing.

An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished on October 23, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The demolition is part of President Donald Trump’s plan to build a multimillion-dollar ballroom on the eastern side of the White House. (Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images)

It’s been four days since alarming images of heavy machinery tearing down the White House East Wing facade on Monday screamed across social media and news platforms. In the hours that have since passed there has been a notable silence. The public has yet to hear from First Lady Melania Trump or her predecessors—former First Ladies Dr. Jill Biden, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush—about the loss of their historic workplace.

That, however, was not the case for Secretary Hillary Clinton, who served as first lady alongside her husband former President Bill Clinton for two terms (1993-2001), who took to X within hours of the initial images surfacing saying:

“It’s not his house.

It’s your house.

And he’s de…