Well, folks, the White House press briefings have certainly been spiced up lately, thanks to the star of the show, Karoline Leavitt. This rising star holds the press office together like glue, and boy, does she know how to handle a sticky situation! In the midst of a storm about construction and demolishing at the White House, she’s out there juggling like an acrobat with her sharp-witted explanations and a smile as bright as the flash from a reporter’s camera. Karoline seems to be channeling her inner historical tour guide, taking the press on a trip down memory lane.

Here’s the scoop: there’s a rumor swirling around that the President has the power to demolish whatever he wants at the White House without much oversight. That’s quite the claim and sounds like something from a political drama, doesn’t it? The White House, however, says it’s all just a big misunderstanding rooted in legal opinions that have been standing longer than some of the old White House walls themselves. According to Karoline, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) has long-established rules that state presidential demolitions, at least the initial phases, don’t require a submission. Sounds like some creative interpretation of the rulebook, but hey, that’s Washington!

Our heroine of the podium, Karoline, doesn’t flinch when someone asks if this means the President could tear down the Jefferson Memorial. With poise that might give Miss Manners a run for her money, she clarifies that it’s not just the current President with such freedom. Past presidents have left their marks, from turning swimming pools into press rooms to Truman’s extensive construction adventures. It’s quite the history lesson and, as Karoline insists, all these modifications have shaped the White House into the mix of modernity and tradition that we know today.

Now, here’s where things get juicy. In a deliciously ironic twist, Karoline offers up a tantalizing vision of a future East Wing transformation that includes a grand ballroom. She paints a picture of glittering state visits and gala gatherings that would surely make F. Scott Fitzgerald smile from the great beyond. Who knew politics could come with so much razzle-dazzle?

But for all her charm and historical backdrops, some folks in the press room are still scratching their heads, wondering just how much brick-and-mortar authority the President really has. Karoline, with a touch of exasperated humor perhaps, redirects them back to that fabled “legal opinion.” It’s a classic Washington standoff: loads of questions, plenty of answers, but perhaps not a resolution everyone can dance to. Seeing Karoline master the high-wire act between legality and historical precedent, it’s clear she’s not just the right person for the job—she’s the star of this show.