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TOP OF THE DAY by Howard Polskin

Oct. 27, 2025

Greetings! Two former first daughters weighed in over the weekend about Trump’s destruction of the East Wing of the White House to make room for his gilded ballroom.  Patti Davis, the daughter of Ronald Reagan and his second wife Nancy, had this to say in a NY Times op ed: “The images we’ve now all seen of the East Wing being demolished are heartbreaking. Over the centuries, many presidents have altered the White House, and certainly older buildings need to be updated and repaired. But this is complete destruction.” Bill and Hillary Clinton’s only child, Chelsea, echoed a similar sentiment in a USA Today opinion piece: “Yes, the president has authority over the White House grounds,” she wrote. “But authority is not the same as stewardship. Stewardship requires transparency, consultation and an accounting for history. A disregard for history is  defining trait of President Trump’s second administration.” Worth noting: the editorial board of the Washington Post defended Trump’s plans to build a massive ballroom next to the White House. And naturally, Trump crowed about it in a Truth Social post…Thirty-three-year-old podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey may be the heir apparent to Charlie Kirk.  So says the Wall Street Journal in a long profile of the rising star in conservative media who has an outsize appeal to evangelical women…Bye-bye Beshear? Perhaps Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) should kiss good-bye any ambitions he has about a 2028 White House run after face-planting big time on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.” As the first guest on the Friday night program, Beshear gave anodyne answers to pointed questions about the political landscape. Maher looked visibly annoyed with his bland responses. He certainly didn’t come across as a viable Democratic candidate for president in 2028…If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard