President Donald Trump on August 15 shared a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio advocating for the East Wing Project, a proposed upgrade to White House reception facilities. Rubio emphasized that the United States currently lacks the ability to host large diplomatic events on White House grounds, relying instead on tents and portable bathrooms that are "unbecoming of our national stature."
"In my work with heads of state and foreign ministers, I am frequently hosted in reception facilities that are visually impressive and reflective of the wealth and beauty of the nations I am visiting," Rubio said. "In the United States, by contrast, we currently lack the ability to hold large events of a similar magnitude on White House grounds for those same heads of state and foreign dignitaries."
Rubio argued that the project is critical for both physical security and diplomatic relations, stating: "We must obviously seek every reasonable means to mitigate both the more predictable risks, including weather and physical incursions, but also emerging threats…The East Wing Project is essential to that defensive security posture." The Secretary called for offering "the world’s leading capabilities in an efficient manner on grounds over which we exert permanent control."
