Know Your Enemy UNLOCKED: Trump's Big, Beautiful Ballroom (w/ Kate Wagner)
Dec 22, 2025
In this engaging discussion, architectural critic Kate Wagner, founder of McMansion Hell, explores Trump's controversial ballroom project and the aesthetics of MAGA architecture. She dives into the motivations behind neo-classical designs favored by conservatives, while critiquing modernism's connection to state power. Wagner also discusses the cultural implications of McMansions and how they reflect societal values. Ultimately, she advocates for a more humane and sustainable approach to architecture that embraces beauty and forward-thinking designs.
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Ballroom As Symbolic Rewriting
- Trump demolished the East Wing to build a 90,000 sq ft ballroom that dwarfs much of the White House.
- The project rewrites symbolic power by physically altering the presidency's built form.
Architect Who Went Quiet
- Jim McCreary, the ballroom architect, deleted his website and retreated from publicity after the commission.
- McCreary's path moved from working for Peter Eisenman to embracing neo‑traditional, church-focused classical work.
Design Evokes Neo‑Imperial Grandeur
- The ballroom renderings show a shoebox hall with Corinthian columns, coffered ceiling, and floor‑to‑ceiling windows.
- Wagner links its look to 19th‑century neo‑Rococo and even the Winter Palace, implying neo‑imperial signaling.