Deadline Poet / November 11, 2025

The New Ballroom

Calvin Trillin
An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished. The demolition is part of President Donald Trump’s plan to build a ballroom on the eastern side of the White House.
An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished. The demolition is part of President Donald Trump’s plan to build a ballroom on the eastern side of the White House. (Eric Lee / Getty Images)

The East Wing was destroyed by night,
But Trump says it will be replaced.
He’s planned a palace, mostly gold—
A shrine to outer-borough taste.

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Calvin Trillin

Calvin Trillin is The Nation’s “deadline poet.”

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