One time when I was young and just starting out, a friend and I were invited to the home of a wealthy older couple who were trustees of several banks and art museums. They lived in an exclusive grand apartment building in the nicest part of a large city center. They had an extensive art collection inside the apartment, a grand piano, and beautiful furnishings. The artworks lining the walls of every room were spectacular, ranging from Old Masters to colorful moderists, and so were the views of the statues, fountains and treetops in the city park below.
My friend and I were tryng very hard to remember our manners and keep from gawking and losing our cool at every new thing. When we left after a wonderful dinner and conversation, the couple escorted us to their private elevator and waved good-bye as the doors closed...
...at which point my friend and I locked eyes, and he said, "What a dump."
To which I replied, "All that crap art."
...and we both exploded with laughter. It was comic relief from an amazing evening and (at that point) once-in-a-lifetime experience.
It wouldn't surprise me if Trump had called the WH a "dump" in exactly the same way -- it's a place he had not really dreamed he would some day call "home."
Yes, I find it hard to believe he said it at all, or if he did, it was a in a sarcastic or joking manner. The media doesn’t understand Trump-speak, or pretends not to so they can get a “gotcha” moment.