Author | Lightnews

Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 1h

Already updated in Wiki:

"The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden was located at the White House south of the East Colonnade. The garden balances the Rose Garden on the west side of the White House. It was demolished on October 23, 2025 to make way for President Donald Trump's ballroom."

Jacqueline Kennedy Garden - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

2 5

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Bellingcat @bellingcat.com · 1h

New satellite images show the scale of demolition that has occurred on the East Wing of the White House in less than a month.

October planet imagery showing the east wing demolished

September planet imagery showing the east wing before work took place

28 290 640

Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 1h

It's not just the East Wing. It's the entire colonnade between them also. And just bulldozed over the Kennedy Rose Garden too. It's all gone, nothing left.

1 22

Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 1h

Yesterday it was just the East Wing. Today he's demolished the colonnade between it and the White House, just nothing left. He's also bulldozed the Jacquie Kennedy's Rose Garden. No approval, no transparency, just lawless. All the trees removed, the gardens. It's beyond shocking. I'm just gutted.

Overhead view of the White House grounds with East Wing outlined.

1 2

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Denise Wheeler @denisedwheeler.bsky.social · 3h

And there it is, once again.

“Representatives from Trump’s family crypto business have held talks with Binance about taking a stake in the US arm of the exchange,” the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year.

Zhao disputed that he was seeking to make a deal in exchange for a pardon.

4 39 98

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Ahmed Baba @ahmedbaba.bsky.social · 2h

Trump rewarded Changpeng Zhao, a business partner who boosted his crypto venture, with a pardon for crimes that Zhao pleaded guilty to.

Trading presidential favors for self-interest.

You can’t get more classically corrupt than this.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2h

Q: On the pardon of Changpeng Zhao, Binance has significant business interests with World Liberty Financial, the president family's crypto company. How do you respond to criticisms that this is a corrupt act?

LEAVITT: I would respond and say the president is exercising his constitutional authority

41 320 870

Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 2h

He's demolished the colonnade between the White House and the East Wing also. There needs to be an emergency injunction to stop everything right now.

Caroline Leavitt thinks it's all fine, Trump could just bulldoze the Lincoln Memorial tomorrow to build his Arc de Trump if he wanted to.

Katie Harbath @katieharbath.bsky.social · 3h

Picture of the East Wing demolition of the White House taken on my flight out of DCA.

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 2h

Breaking NYT:

Virginia Democrats are moving to redraw their state's congressional map.

The surprise move could give Democrats two or three additional House seats. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/u...

Virginia Democrats Plan to Redraw House Maps in Redistricting Push

www.nytimes.com

43 230 890

Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 2h

If Biden had demolished a third of the White House without any permit, approval or plan nobody on the right would have said a peep because of these "legal opinions" that have been in effect for years and years? Absolute garbage lying and hypocrisy. It's galling.

FactPost @factpostnews.bsky.social · 2h

Reporter: So it sounds like the answer is yes, Trump can tear down whatever he wants.

Leavitt: That's a legal opinion that's been held for many years

2 1

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 2h

Democrats can just run this clip as an ad

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2h

Leavitt: "At this moment in time, of course, the ballroom is really the president's main priority."

25 230 920

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Governor Newsom Press Office @govpressoffice.gov.ca.gov · 1d

We should be fighting for American farmers — not selling them out to boost someone else’s economy.

4 24 66

Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 17h

Except Fox News et al aren't talking about it, not showing it. It's only a tiny little news story on the "librul media" and most Americans don't know anything about it.

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

jenn m. jackson @jennmjacksonphd.bsky.social · 1d

I want more people to care that SNAP benefits are being cut off on November 1. 40% of SNAP beneficiaries are children. This is callous and vile.

420 6.9K 17K

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 22h

Yes. The through line here is nakedly corrupt self-dealing. Trump is looting the people's money while demolishing the people's White House and replacing it with a gilded monstrosity that is his own personal plaything.

Brian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · 1d

Glad Raskin is on this. I hope @robertgarcia.bsky.social gets on the demolition of the East Wing, and they link up to determine whether Trump’s trying to steal the $230 million to pay for the palace ballroom.
newrepublic.com/article/2021...

Trump’s Vile New $230 Million Shakedown of DOJ Just Got Even Worse

It’s bad enough that Trump wants—and DOJ will likely fork over—this tribute payment. Now, get this: It can probably be done at first without even being revealed publicly.

newrepublic.com

9 87 270

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 23h

You could easily fit a single large room in place of the old East Wing, one that'd comfortably accommodate 2-3x more people than the East Room, while keeping give or take the same footprint and a very similar exterior appearance. That's what the reasonable version of the idea would have looked like.

6 13 110

Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 22h

Well that's a pipe dream. You can't "restore" the East Wing that's rubble and dust. And it would be pointless to try.

And you can't just demolish a $300 million building on the White House lawn either.

Somebody needs to step in and stop that construction before it's too late.

1

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 22h

Feels like a statement from a bipartisan group of former first ladies about the destruction of the east wing could capture some attention ...

130 710 4K

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Jesse Duquette @jesseduquette.bsky.social · 22h

I’d say “eat the rich” but they probably taste like ketamine and microplastics

36 460 1.3K

Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 22h

Right, "the military" is so very involved. What, transferring all the gold from Fort Knox to rococo his new ballroom? Every inch of those drawings gilded!

And to "do it properly" maybe try actually going through the plans and approval process.

150 yrs they've needed this? Such garbage.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

Trump waves around renderings of his new ballroom, which appears to be entirely gold

Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 22h

Right, "the military" is so very involved. What, transferring all the gold from Fort Knox to rococo his new ballroom? Every inch of those drawings gilded!

And to "do it properly" maybe try actually going through the plans and approval process.

150 yrs they've needed this? Such garbage.

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

ProPublica @propublica.org · 22h

In case you missed it, read Andy’s deep dive on how Vought used his position as budget chief to dismantle entire federal agencies, use the government shutdown as a way to fire civil servants, and put workers “in trauma”:

Russell Vought, Trump’s Shadow President

From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that inside...

www.propublica.org

2 61 180

Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 1d

They could have saved woodwork, doors, artifacts. This building belongs to the people, not the temporary staff. It's heartbreaking!

6 32 580

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Adam Isacson @adamisacson.com · 1d

34 people killed in 50 days. Their guilt or innocence unknown, for an alleged crime that doesn't carry a death sentence. That's a lot of death.

adamisacson.com/boat-strikes/

Known Lethal U.S. Attacks on Civilian Vessels in the Caribbean
Total reported killed: 34 people
Notification Date Number Reported Killed Approximate Location Notification URL
September 2, 2025 11 “in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility” (later revealed as between Sucre, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago) View
September 15, 2025 3
“in International Waters… in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility”; Colombian president claimed it was a fishing boat in Colombian waters View
September 19, 2025 3 “in international waters… in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility” near the Dominican Republic View
October 3, 2025 4 “in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela” View
October 14, 2025 6 “in International Waters… just off the Coast of Venezuela” View
October 16, 2025 2; 2 reported survivors “in the Caribbean” View
October 17, 2025 3 “in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility” View
October 21, 2025 2 “in the Eastern Pacific” View

500 6K 12K

Reposted by Happy Flapjack

Joelelan @typomaker.bsky.social · 1d

I remember Fox News spending days on the scandal that was Michelle Obama’s modest little veggie garden. It was discussed and berated non-stop with the general theme being ‘how dare she desecrate those hallowed grounds.

2 120 570