‘I am the code’: Clashed with ballroom architect over safety issues…

VIA NEWSWIRE_US ON X

The first architect on the White House ballroom clashed with President Donald Trump over design features that violated building safety codes in the weeks before his resignation last year, The Washington Post reports.

According to the Post, James McCrery II withdrew from the project last October after repeatedly warning that Trump’s preferred design lacked adequate emergency exit routes and fire-containment measures. Trump brushed off the concerns, insisting instead that “I am the code,” arguing no building codes applied to White House construction. The Post further noted that Trump’s projects are routed through the Executive Residence, a tiny office exempt from the federal rules that would normally require compliance with national safety standards.

Documents reviewed by the Post showed Trump was deeply involved in the ballroom’s design, marking up drawings with Sharpie notes and expanding the space to nearly twice the size of the original mansion, seating over 1,300 guests. McCrery had flagged that the design lacked sufficient emergency exits, fire-containment measures and even enough toilets for the expected occupancy — concerns the White House insists have since been “addressed and resolved continuously,” even as officials confirmed the design was still being tweaked as construction continued months after his departure.