Representative Eric Swalwell from California has recently become the latest figure to fall prey to what Trump supporters are humorously dubbing “Ballroom Derangement Syndrome” or “BDS”.
In a bold political move, Swalwell is calling for any Democratic candidate eyeing the 2028 presidential race to pledge the dismantling of President Donald Trump’s proposed “big beautiful ballroom” if they wish to secure the party’s nomination.
“Don’t even think of seeking the Democratic nomination for president unless you pledge to take a wrecking ball to the Trump Ballroom on DAY ONE,” Swalwell wrote on X on Saturday night.
The term “BDS” is a fresh spin on the well-known “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS), a phrase that has circulated since Trump’s first presidency, and has now gained traction across social media and even on Fox News broadcasts.
Swalwell is not alone in his criticism; numerous Democratic voices have expressed outrage over the ballroom project, estimated to cost between $250 million and $300 million, with funding reportedly coming from private donors along with Trump himself.
News outlets have captured a variety of intense reactions to the ballroom proposal.
Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota, speaking on MSNBC’s The Weeknight, likened the potential demolition of a section of the East Wing to “taking a wrecking ball to our democracy.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told reporters the project was so the 47th president could be “celebrated as if he was a king.”
Hillary Clinton said she was trying help Democrats fundraise off the project.
Chelsea Clinton lamented Trump was “demeaning” the White House’s stature with the renovation, seemingly oblivious to the irony represented by her father’s sexual escapades with intern Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt first announced the planned construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom in early July. The ballroom will accommodate approximately 650 seated guests and will stay true to the classical design of the White House, she said.
In the Obama administration, several state dinners were held in a large tent on the south lawn where guests were required to use portable bathrooms.
Leavitt has pushed back against the “fake outrage,” noting that “nearly every single president who has lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own.”
In its Sunday edition, the New York Times profiled a variety of voters on the project. Reactions seem to follow the deep political divide that has characterized U.S. politics in recent years.
Quotes from voters ranged from “every president has wished to have more space for entertaining” to “it doesn’t make sense.”
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
