Traditionally, the White House has been called “the People’s House,” because it symbolizes that the government belongs not to the temporary inhabitant of the building but to the American people. Seven months into his second term, President Donald Trump has already added the Mar-a-Lago touch to the Oval Office by adding golden flourishes, cherubs and more. But he recently announced that he’ll be adding a $200 million 90,000-square-foot ballroom to replace the East Wing (“ Trump’s plan for a swanky ballroom reflects his vision of a new Gilded Age ,” Aug. 15).

Rather than have the White House represent the people’s government, Trump is trying to turn that historic building into the kind of property in which he is comfortable, like Mar-a-Lago, where he can host parties in a big gold room. B

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