Trump, 79, Stuns with Wild Show and Tell to Defend Ballroom
President Donald Trump unveiled large mockups of his controversial White House ballroom to members of the media on Sunday, just hours after design flaws were revealed. The president appeared on Air Force One following a report by experts from the New York Times that highlighted several issues with the ballroom’s design. These included the use of fake windows, columns that obstruct the view inside the ballroom, stairs leading to nowhere, and an excessively large rooftop area.
Trump carried around large boards featuring images of what his $400 million ballroom will look like once completed. He told reporters, “I thought I’d do this now because I’m so busy, I don’t have time to do this—I’m fighting wars and other things, but this is very important because this is going to be with us for a long time, and I think it’ll be the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world.”
Trump praised the ballroom, noting that “a lot of people” are already giving it “good reviews,” even though it hasn’t been built yet. Some of these individuals have never seen the space. His public display came shortly after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed frustration over the criticism. She took to X (formerly Twitter) to defend the project, stating, “The New York Times had three random people who have ‘studied fine arts,’ ‘long written about urban planning,’ and never built anything to write an article criticizing the new White House ballroom.”
Leavitt added, “President Trump and his lead architect have built world-class buildings around the world, and they are ensuring the People’s House finally has a beautiful ballroom that’s been needed for decades — at no expense to the taxpayer.”
Construction on the ballroom, which required the complete demolition of the East Wing of the White House, began in October. Initially estimated to cost $200 million, the project is now expected to cost at least double that amount. Trump revealed this detail in December while discussing a lawsuit aimed at halting further construction.
“We got sued. We’re donating a $400 million ballroom, and we got sued not to build it,” Trump said. “For 150 years, they’ve wanted a ballroom, and we’re giving them—myself and donors are giving them—free of charge. We’re donating a building that’s approximately $400 million.”
Public reaction to Trump’s donation has been largely negative. Over 32,000 people submitted comments to the National Capital Planning Commission regarding the renovation. A CNN analysis of these comments found that more than 97% of the feedback was against the construction. Some critics compared the ballroom’s gaudy golden aesthetic to a brothel or a Vegas casino.
Former residents of the White House have also criticized Trump’s renovations. Patti Davis, daughter of former President Ronald Reagan, expressed her concerns in an October opinion piece for the New York Times. She wrote, “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.”
Davis, 73, continued, “We silence so much when we tear down places that are there to teach us, inspire us, humble us. Ghosts and memories drift away in the dust, the wreckage, and we are all poorer as a result.”
This is a developing news story and will be updated.
