White House Ballroom Funding Debate
Trump's White House Ballroom Project Hits $600 Million, Half Expected From Taxpayers
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The planned White House grand ballroom has ballooned to an estimated $600 million — triple what President Trump publicly stated just months ago — with taxpayers on the hook for roughly half, according to The Washington Post. Leaked contractor documents from Clark Construction reveal the federal government has already approved dozens of payments, with $300 million expected to come from public funds.
Trump repeatedly promised the project would cost $400 million and be funded entirely by private donors. "We have no taxpayer putting up 10 cents," he told reporters in March 2026, according to FactCheck.org. The new figures tell a sharply different story.
Cost Estimate Tripled in Less Than a Year
The project has changed dramatically since Trump first floated it in June 2025. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in July 2025 that the ballroom would cost $200 million, paid for by "patriot donors," according to The Washington Post. By March 2026, Trump raised that figure to $400 million — still promising zero taxpayer money. Now leaked contractor logs put the total at $600 million, with $300 million coming from the public.
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom is designed to seat between 650 and 999 guests. That compares to the current East Room, which holds just 200 people. White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the cost, telling The Journal the facility is "inextricably tied" to presidential security and includes drone ports, a medical facility, and bomb shelters.
Historic East Wing Demolished Without Congressional Approval
Construction required tearing down the East Wing — a structure completed in 1902 and expanded in 1942. Workers demolished it in October 2025 with no prior congressional approval and no public notice, according to The Washington Post. The administration claimed the wing was "structurally unsound" and "moldy." Critics called that justification a pretext for a vanity project.
The National Capital Planning Commission approved the final design in an 8–1 vote in April 2026. But 143 members of Congress filed a legal brief arguing the demolition and spending both violate the Constitution. Democrats say control over federal property belongs to Congress, not the executive branch. The Department of Justice argues no court has the authority to stop it.
Democrats Call It Looting, White House Calls It Security
DNC Chair Ken Martin accused Trump of "looting taxpayers for his billionaire ballroom." Representative Ro Khanna and other Democrats argue the $300 million in public funds could have been spent elsewhere. Senator Patty Murray said that money could have funded over 800,000 units of affordable housing, according to The Washington Post.
The White House frames the taxpayer spending as covering security upgrades — not the ballroom itself. Spokesman Ingle said features like drone ports and medical bays are Secret Service requirements, according to The Washington Post. Congressional Republicans separately proposed $1 billion in federal funding for "security adjustments" at the site in May 2026, according to FactCheck.org.
Two-Thirds of Americans Oppose Tearing Down the East Wing
Public sentiment has turned sharply against the project. Polling from Navigator Research shows roughly two-thirds of Americans oppose demolishing the East Wing for the ballroom. Many respondents said the president was focused on the "wrong things." The project is also part of a broader spending push that includes $7.5 million for gold-coated horse statues and $100 million for a structure critics call the "Arc de Trump," according to a DNC statement cited by Waco Tribune.
Legal battles are ongoing. Preservationists argue the project lacks congressional authorization and violates historic preservation laws. For now, construction continues. The total bill — at least $600 million — keeps climbing, and the share landing on American taxpayers appears to be growing with it.
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