Demolishing the east wing of the White House was made possible for Trump by an exception in the law, writes the BBC

Washington - The entire east wing of the White House has been allowed to be demolished for American President Donald Trump due to an exemption in the law protecting national historic landmarks. Federal agencies are required under this law to review the impact of all construction projects conducted on historic properties, which includes obtaining input from the public. However, one section of the law exempts the White House, the Capitol, which houses the American Congress, and the U.S. Supreme Court building, wrote the BBC's website.

Despite this exemption, American presidents in the past have voluntarily submitted their plans for renovating the White House to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) for review before starting construction work, which oversees construction projects in federal buildings. White House officials announced on Tuesday that they plan to present the plans for the construction of a ballroom, which is to be built on the site of the White House's east wing, to the NCPC. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the demolition crew completed the total demolition of the east wing.

The law protecting national historic landmarks was signed in 1966 by then-President Lyndon Johnson after a period of rapid development in the United States, which also involved the construction of federal government-funded infrastructure. The law was enacted during a time of growing concern that cultural and historical landmarks were being destroyed in construction projects, wrote the BBC.

The review process established by the 1996 law was well established and would be "best practice" for the renovation of the east wing of the White House, believes Priya Jain, chair of the historic preservation committee at the nonprofit organization Society of Architectural Historians, according to the BBC. Reviews of construction plans can take several years and include discussions about possible alternatives. In the case of Trump's plan for the ballroom, questions might arise such as: Do we need such a large ballroom? Shouldn't it be smaller? Could it be an extension of the east wing? Could it be underground?

The sight of the rubble from the demolished east wing of the White House has provoked a stormy reaction from Democrats, some conservatives, and historic preservation organizations. On Thursday, shortly after noon local time, only a small part of the eastern colonnade remained standing, a corridor that previously connected the east wing to the main building of the White House, reported The Washington Post.

The White House was built between 1792 and 1800. Its east wing, which traditionally housed the offices and salons of the First Lady and where tours of the White House began, was constructed in 1902 during President Theodore Roosevelt’s administration. In 1942, during Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency, it underwent significant expansion and renovation, and a bunker was built beneath it. The two-story building of the east wing, where First Ladies made history, planned state dinners, and advocated for various causes, is now a thing of the past, noted the AP.