Bulwark Takes – “Trump’s Heartbreaking White House Makeover”

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Sam Sty (Managing Editor, The Bulwark)
Guest: Sonny Bunch (Bulwark’s film specialist)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the reported demolition of the White House East Wing by Donald Trump for a massive, permanent ballroom renovation, exploring both the emotional impact and cultural symbolism of altering classical American institutions. Sam Sty and Sonny Bunch examine why this move provokes such powerful reactions, then pivot to a cinematic discussion of White House destruction—drawing parallels between real-life upheaval and Hollywood’s penchant for iconic destruction scenes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Permanent Change to a National Symbol

• Emotional Reaction to East Wing Demolition
  • Pictures surfaced of the East Wing’s facade being torn down for a $250 million ballroom (§01:00–04:18).
  • Both hosts and much of the Bulwark’s editorial Slack were “really bothered by it on an emotional level” (§03:17).
    • “This person made a decision, didn’t even really get proper sign off, and was just like, ‘I’m going to make a ballroom, and that’s that.’ And we’re stuck with it forever.” – Sam Sty (03:46)
  • The act is seen as being not just a redesign but “literally just destroying a symbol of America and refashioning it in his image in a way that is permanent and kind of gross.” – Sonny Bunch (02:58)
• Irreversibility of the Decision
  • Unlike typical changes that can be undone, such as paint colors or décor, this architectural change is lasting (§03:56).

2. Process and Authority Questions

• Permitting Process at the White House
  • Sonny expresses curiosity and skepticism about the lack of oversight:
    “It is apparently harder to build an apartment building in Washington, D.C. than it is to demolish part of the White House.” (04:40)
  • Sam and Sonny discuss DC’s notorious zoning/max height rules, underlining how truly abnormal this White House situation is (§04:54).

3. Concerns and Jokes About Future Décor

• Trump’s “Childish” Taste
  • Sam criticizes the “gold filigree” and compares the aesthetic to a kid with too many posters on his wall (§05:14).
  • Tim’s (another Bulwark editor) love for “all this gold being thrown about” is roasted:
    “There’s too much stuff. Like, it’s just too much stuff. And he needs to be less stated. And I’m worried about the ballroom… I think he’s gonna put a golf simulator in there.” – Sam Sty (06:10)
  • Sonny riffs: “You could have tournaments in there. I bet John Daly would show up.” (06:20)
• Potential for Ridiculous Additions
  • The idea of fundraising bar/bat mitzvahs at the White House, of buying “Trump gold” bars for access—lampooning the possible commercialization and branding of the new space (§07:10–07:39).

4. Cinematic Perspective: Destruction of the White House in Film

• Parallels with Hollywood’s White House Destruction
  • The hosts note the stream of movies depicting the White House under attack or destroyed.
    • “There’s a lot of cinematic angles to take around the destruction… prior depictions of the White House being destroyed.” – Sam Sty (01:03, 07:39)
  • Sonny draws a distinction between “obliteration and just damage” (§07:59).
• Independence Day as the “Gold Standard”
  • Both agree:
    “That is the gold standard here. That is the A number one depiction of destruction of the White House.” – Sonny Bunch (07:59)
  • “That ad stuck with them so tightly.” (Independence Day’s marketing) – Sonny (08:25)
• Other Famous White House-Destruction Movies
  • Olympus Has Fallen (Gerard Butler, realistic assault, “I believe a squad of North Korean commandos could do this.”) – Sonny (09:09–09:45)
  • White House Down (Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum — “too silly” compared to Olympus Has Fallen) (§10:46)
  • 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, Geostorm, and 1950s “creature feature” alien movies were all discussed for their destruction sequences (§10:54–11:45).
  • X2 (Nightcrawler’s White House sequence) and GI Joe Retaliation (Cobra redecoration) highlighted for action set pieces in the White House (§12:11–12:35).
• If You Only Watch One
  “I think I gotta go with Independence Day. It’s such a classic.” – Sam Sty (12:51)
  “Independence Day is number one. It is the best.” – Sonny Bunch (12:51)

5. Best Cinematic President Debate

• Bill Pullman (Independence Day) vs. Harrison Ford (Air Force One)
  • “Because I’ve debated, but like, the best cinematic depiction of a president, is it Bill Pullman? … He flies the airplane. He leads the air assaults on the ships.” – Sam Sty (13:04–13:13)
  • “We did have a real interesting run of, like, almost superhero presidents in the mid to late 90s. A lot of, like, we need to make… What is America? It’s 1995… How about superhero president? Sure, why not?” – Sonny Bunch (13:46)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the renovation’s symbolism:
  “It’s literally just destroying a symbol of America and refashioning it in his image in a way that is permanent and kind of gross.”
  — Sonny Bunch (02:58)

• On the emotional response:
  “It really bothered people on an emotional level. … It’s the fact that it’s permanent… You are not erasing it. You might be able to like, change parts of it, but, like, it is there forever.”
  — Sam Sty (03:36–03:56)

• On regulatory inconsistency:
  “It is apparently harder to build an apartment building in Washington, D.C. than it is to demolish part of the White House.”
  — Sonny Bunch (04:40)

• On kitsch interior design:
  “I liken it to, like, a young kid who, you know, realizes they can put posters on their wall and then just starts slapping stuff up everywhere. … There’s too much stuff. Like, it’s just too much stuff. And he needs to be less stated.”
  — Sam Sty (05:17–05:36)

• On imagining future ballroom uses:
  “Do you think you’ll be able to rent out the ballroom for weddings? … If you contribute to MAGA Inc. you can actually get maybe a few bar mitzvahs in there, too.”
  — Sam Sty (07:10–07:20)

• On the ultimate White House destruction film:
  “That is the gold standard here. … Independence Day.”
  — Sonny Bunch (07:59)

• On America’s 90s superhero presidents:
  “We did have a real interesting run of, like, almost superhero presidents in the mid to late 90s.”
  — Sonny Bunch (13:46)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:00] – Summary of the East Wing demolition reveal and shock
• [03:17] – Why the move feels so emotionally significant/irreversible
• [04:18] – Questions about White House permitting and D.C. regulations
• [05:14] – Roasting Trump’s “chaotic” decor style and worries about new ballroom features
• [06:34] – Joke riff on White House being used for MAGA fundraising/weddings
• [07:39] – Launch into the Hollywood portrayal of White House destruction
• [08:17] – Independence Day’s iconic status
• [09:09] – Olympus Has Fallen and rival movies
• [12:11] – Noteworthy action sequences set in the White House (X2, GI Joe)
• [12:51] – Hosts’ top recommendation: Independence Day
• [13:04] – Best cinematic president debate

Tone

Conversational, skeptical, irreverent, and peppered with dry wit—both hosts blend pop-culture references with sharp political critique. They balance real concern for historical preservation with good-natured mockery of Trump’s taste and the sometimes surreal spectacle of American politics.

Summary

The episode laments the irrevocable alteration of a core historic American symbol, using pop-culture and humor to process its emotional resonance. The hosts dissect why the East Wing’s destruction feels different, then have fun mapping that sense of loss (and disbelief) onto Hollywood’s tradition of spectacular White House destruction, drawing a straight line from the “grotesque” real-world renovation to the cathartic explosions of the silver screen. For those who haven’t listened, the episode delivers both a sense of cultural mourning and a rollicking film-nerd tour of cinematic apocalypse—ultimately landing on “Independence Day” as the era’s definitive White House destruction moment, with Bill Pullman crowned Best President (of popcorn cinema, at least).