On the October 20, 2025, episode of The Rachel Maddow Show, Rachel Maddow delivered a dramatic monologue, asserting that President Donald Trump is “destroying the people’s house,” “tearing down the White House with a backhoe,” and “has no intention of moving out of it ever.”
Maddow linked her claims to what she described as widespread “No Kings” protests, alleging that “seven million plus people” rallied across the United States to oppose Trump. She stated the protests spanned “Not just in all 50 states, but in every state…”
But Maddow’s protest numbers appear wildly inflated. Her “seven million” claim seems to be another case of rhetorical exaggeration — meant to dramatize a narrative rather than reflect reality.
Even if 7 million people did show up nationwide, that is only about 2.0% of the U.S. population. And with approximately 44.1 million registered Democrats in the U.S., it represents just 16% of that group—hardly the overwhelming groundswell Maddow portrays.
Maddow said:
“We should have known, but still nothing can quite prepare you for the sight of him actually doing it. Absolutely amazing, surprise. Donald Trump is literally destroying the people’s house because apparently he thinks it’s his house and not ours. And I’m guessing he has no intention of moving out of it ever.
So, yeah, uh, he waited to start tearing down the White House with a backhoe until today. Imagine how many more people might have turned out for the No Kings protest this weekend had we seen this stuff a few days ago?
I mean on above and on top of the 7 million people who showed up, I thought we’d get maybe five or six million people like we did in June. We got five million-ish in June. I thought maybe six million, seven million plus. People showed up to protest against Trump everywhere.
Not just in all 50 states, but in every state — multiple, sometimes dozens, sometimes hundreds of protests — starting in the great state of Alabama.”
Maddow’s claim that Trump “waited until after the No Kings protests” to start work makes no sense. The White House renovation plans were announced months earlier — in July 2025 — with construction preparations beginning in September. The timing wasn’t political; it followed a public schedule long before the protests she referenced.
Maddow paints a picture of Trump bulldozing the White House — when in reality, he’s overseeing renovation and construction work that has been publicly documented for months. Reports confirm that projects underway include a new state ballroom, refreshed Oval Office décor, Rose Garden paving, and other infrastructure updates inside and around the White House complex. These are maintenance and modernization efforts — not the destruction Maddow describes.
The ballroom and renovations are privately funded — not paid for by taxpayers. Trump and a group of what he calls “patriot donors” are covering all costs for the expansion, which includes modernization of the East Wing and new event facilities. The administration emphasized that the work is “completely separate from the main residence” and designed to preserve the historic structure while providing updated space for large official gatherings.
And let’s be honest — Trump isn’t a demolisher. He’s a builder. He’s spent his entire career constructing skyscrapers, resorts, and landmarks around the world — from Trump Tower in New York City to the Grand Hyatt redevelopment, the Old Post Office restoration in Washington, D.C., and the Wollman Rink renovation in Central Park that he completed when the city couldn’t. His lifelong experience in real estate and development makes him one of the few presidents who actually understands how to plan and manage complex construction projects. That background exposes how misplaced Maddow’s criticism is, twisting basic renovation into another political headline. But for Maddow, everything Trump does becomes a crisis. If he restores a room, she calls it fascism. If he adds a ballroom, she calls it tyranny. If he renovates the White House, Maddow says Trump is “destroying the people’s house.”
Trump is not “destroying” the White House, as Maddow claims, but overseeing essential renovations to modernize a historic landmark. Limited demolition, a standard part of such projects, precedes planned improvements, contrary to her portrayal of reckless destruction.
While Maddow’s audience rallies at No Kings protests, Trump is directing privately funded upgrades to the White House — a process far outside her experience. Instead, she’s built her career on tearing people down and repeating democrat propaganda while Trump has created, built, and worked to make the country — and the world — better than he found it.