A Republican congressman was fact-checked for suggesting that former President Barack Obama had demolished parts of the White House to build a basketball court.
President Donald Trump has provoked outrage by ordering the demolition of the East Wing to build a $250 million gilded ballroom that would dwarf the main White House, and Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) raced to his defense to suggest that other presidents had carried out similar destruction of the historic building.
"Someone needs to stop @realDonaldTrump from doing this abomination!" Burchett posted on X, adding a photo of portions of the White House laid to waste. "Oh wait this was during the basketball construction during the Obama administration. #NeverMind"
However, as a community note later appended to the post pointed out, the photo Burchett used was actually taken during Harry S. Truman's presidency.
"This photo depicts reconstruction during the Truman Administration (1949-1952)," the note states. "President Obama had the tennis court converted into a basketball court. It was not a demolition. College champions and Wounded Warriors played there during his administration."
Burchett later deleted the erroneous post and put up another one using the same language but pinning the blame on the correct president, but without some important context.
"Someone needs to stop the @realDonaldTrump administration from destroying the @WhiteHouse," the congressman posted. "Oh wait! This is a picture from the Truman Administration. #nevermind"
Truman directed engineers early in his presidency examine evidence the building was under physical stress, and they confirmed the White House was structurally weak and in danger of collapse, and after considerable debate over costs and the scope of the project, Congress authorized $5.4 million in funding to reconstruct the White House while keeping the exterior walls in place.
"Burned to the exterior walls in 1814, further compromised by the successive additions of indoor plumbing, gas lighting, electric wiring, heating ducts, and major modifications in 1902 and 1927, some said the White House was standing only from the force of habit," the White House Historical Association posted on its website. "The decision was made to move the Trumans across the street into the Blair House for more than three years while the White House underwent a complete reconstruction within its original exterior walls. In December 1949, crews began dismantling the interior."
The project, which replaced steel, concrete, wiring, flooring and interior walls inside the White House and added two new basements, was completed in 1952.