'He cares only about himself': Sen. Adam Schiff slams Trump for expensive White House renovations

President Donald Trump's seemingly flamboyant renovation plans for the White House have met with criticism since their introduction, and the latest comes from Sen. Adam Schiff, who questioned the money spent on the project. Schiff shared how the president plans to spend over $370 million on renovations at a time when the country is facing an affordability crisis, especially in the housing sector. In his post on social media, Schiff accused Trump of only caring about himself at a time when the American people are struggling with high rent and mortgage rates. 

In a post on X, Schiff said the staggering funds could instead support affordable housing and childcare centers for the people. "Trump wants half a billion to renovate the White House while you struggle to afford your rent and mortgage. For that money, we could have thousands of new affordable homes and new affordable childcare centers near them," he wrote. "He cares only about himself," he concluded, along with a picture of a report showing the proposed $377 million budget for the renovations. According to the White House's fiscal 2027 budget request, Trump plans to spend $377 million on renovating the White House executive residence in fiscal 2026, and he estimates spending another $174 million through the next year.

Since the introduction of the plans, Democrats have slammed the move, calling it wasteful and destructive. Sharing a picture of the construction activity, Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote on X: "This is Trump's presidency in a single photo: Illegal, destructive, and not helping you." Trump's arch-rival in the 2024 elections, Hilary Clinton, also criticized the plans, alleging that Trump was "destroying" the White House. Apart from lawmakers, over half, or 56% of Americans, disapproved of the demolition of the White House’s East Wing and the construction of a new ballroom, according to a Washington Post, ABC News, and Ipsos.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the administration, and late last month, a federal judge ruled that the administration must pause construction pending "express authorization from Congress." Since Trump had unilaterally torn down the historic East Wing, the Judge said he likely didn't have the authority to tear down a significant portion of the White House without consulting Congress. While Trump immediately refuted the ruling in a Truth Social post, the administration is now appealing the ruling. Trump called the non-profit that sued the administration "a Radical Left Group of Lunatics," claiming that the project cost no taxpayers' money and was under budget and ahead of schedule.  

According to Politico, some allies of Trump in Congress have extended support, but many Republicans aren't convinced whether they need to get involved at the moment. If the administration's appeal in court fails, congressional Republicans will need to try to pass a bill to give Trump the authority to complete the project or risk delaying it beyond the target date of 2028. Currently, lawmakers already have a full plate, including the DHS shutdown and a controversial voter registration bill