The latest pearl-clutching outrage for anti-Trump Democrats and the media is the demolition of part of the East Wing of the White House to make way for renovations and the construction of a new grand ballroom, which President Donald Trump's critics have argued is representative of his purported destruction of democracy and rising authoritarianism.

Not all Democrats have lost their minds over this, however, as Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer just downplayed the whole overwrought reaction as a distraction from what most Americans are truly concerned about, according to USA Today.

Meanwhile, the Trump White House and some historians have similarly brushed off the absurd response by reminding everyone that this is merely the latest entry in a long list of major and minor renovations to the president's residence over the decades, with at least this one being funded by private donations instead of taxpayer money.

Whitmer is not worried about the ballroom

According to The Hill, Gov. Whitmer, who is no fan of President Trump, was asked about the ongoing demolition of the East Wing on Thursday during an appearance on MSNBC with host Jen Psaki, who showed an "insane split screen" of the work that was "happening while the shutdown is leaving so many workers without pay and critical benefits."

"Well, as I have talked to people, I’m telling you right now, no one is worried about building a ballroom in Washington, D.C.," Whitmer said.

"What they want is to make sure that they can feed their kids next week. And the longer the shutdown goes, the more precarious it gets for people," she continued, the vast majority of whom are "never going to step foot in a ballroom over the course of their lifetime."

"But what they do every single day is try to feed their kids, make sure that they get a job to show up to, make sure that they don’t hit a pothole on their drive to work and they have to take money out of their rent or their child care to pay to fix their damn car," the governor added. "That’s why we got to stay focused on the issues that matter to people."

White House has always been a "work in progress"

Also dismissing the faux outrage from many Democrats was presidential historian Craig Shirley, according to the Washington Examiner, who noted that, unlike many of the numerous past renovations to the White House, the addition of a grand ballroom will likely actually prove beneficial to future presidents and the American people.

"A lot of Americans will be able to enjoy that ballroom. A lot of Americans could not enjoy Obama’s basketball court, or Clinton’s running track and putting green, or Gerald Ford’s swimming pool," he said. "You know, a lot of Americans couldn’t enjoy those things, but a lot of Americans will be able to enjoy the ballroom."

"The White House has been a work in progress since 1800. Trump is a builder," the author added. "I’m running out of fingers and toes to tell you how many times the White House has gone through changes."

Privately funded addition

Indeed, the White House released a timeline this week that outlined more than a dozen additions and renovations to the White House over the past century, with some more substantial than others and most, but not all, financed with taxpayer funds rather than private donations, like the current project.

As for those private donations, Newsweek reported that the White House also released a list of dozens of corporations and individuals who've pledged contributions to help build the ballroom, though that list did not denote how much those contributions were.

To be sure, many of President Trump's devoted haters will remain unsatisfied and continue to lodge complaints, but, as usual, Trump has indicated that he is entirely unbothered by the garment-rending lamentations of his perpetual critics.

"For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc.," Trump said Monday in a Truth Social post. "I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway -- with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!"

"The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly. This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!" he added.