WASHINGTON — Melania Trump "loved her little tiny" White House office.

But like the rest of the East Wing, it had to go to make way for the ballroom, her husband says.

"She loved her little tiny office and that, but you know what?" President Donald Trump said an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News. "She's very smart. In about one day, she think, if you would ask her now she says it's great."

Trump's demolition has come under intense criticism, including from his wife's predecessors. Former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton have ridiculed the construction project. So has Chelsea Clinton.

Melania Trump has not commented publicly on the demolition of the East Wing, which has traditionally housed the first lady's workspace.

Her second floor office overlooked the South Lawn and Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. It was near the White House's social, calligraphy and military offices. The White House addition that was built in 1942 was torn down to make space for the ballroom last month.

Trump said it was a "beautiful little tiny structure that was built many years ago that was renovated and expanded, and disbanded, and columns ripped out" and had become a "poor, sad site" that was unideal to build his ballroom around.

The first lady is currently working from the ground floor of the building, which includes the Vermeil Room, the China Room and the White House Library. That area is currently closed to the public.

White House tours have previously included those rooms but will take a different route when they resume on Dec. 2.

Contributing: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Melania 'loved her little tiny office.' Trump weighs in on first lady and the White House teardown

Reporting by Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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