King Charles could be forced to use a Portaloo during his visit to the White House this year as he is hosted in « a tent on the South Lawn », a US official says. The King will fly to the US for a state visit in April, but he may not receive the degree of pomp and pageantry enjoyed by Donald Trump during his visit last September. Instead, he could be left with no choice but to use a portable lavatory, according to White House staff secretary Will Scharff.
Mr Scharff warned of the potential scenario while pushing for Mr Trump’s vision of replacing the presidential residence’s East Wing with an extravagant ballroom for hosting foreign dignitaries. Visiting state leaders are currently hosted in lavish tents on the South Lawn because the East Room is too small to accommodate large numbers of people; portable toilets have been installed nearby, allowing guests to avoid the need to trek to and from the White House.
« I think it’s notable that when the President of the United States of America flies to the United Kingdom, he’s hosted at Windsor Castle, » Mr Scharff said.
« And when the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland comes to the United States, more likely than not, he will be hosted in a tent on the South Lawn with porta-potties.
« That, to me, is not a good look for the United States of America. »
The Trump aide made the comments during a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) on Thursday, which discussed the President’s large-scale renovation plans for the White House.
Architect Shalom Baranes informed the meeting that the ballroom would be approximately 22,000 square feet and accommodate 1,000 seated guests, with a two-story colonnade also being built to connect it to the East Room.
The overall East Wing redevelopment, including two new floors alongside the ballroom, would total over 89,000 square feet and has drawn criticism for destroying a historic part of the White House and leaving the residence lopsided.
Mr Baranes said the Trump administration was considering a one-storey addition to the West Wing colonnade « to restore a sense of symmetry » to the overall complex, Reuters reports.
Demolition of the East Wing had already commenced when Mr Trump confirmed the redevelopment plans in October, with the President believed to want the ballroom finished before the end of his term in 2029.
Josh Fisher, director of management and administration at the White House, told the NCPC meeting that Mr Trump’s team had decided that factors including old roofing and obsolete electrical infrastructure made the demolition and redevelopment of the East Wing the most « economical » strategy for the project.
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