President Trump Thursday unveiled plans for a glitzy new White House ballroom with a hefty $200 million price tag even as Republicans implement draconian cuts to health and other social programs.
Construction is set to begin in September on the new 90,000-square-foot space that would seat up to 650 people adjacent to the White House’s East Wing.
The project is scheduled to be completed long before the end of Trump’s term in 2029, spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.
The White House says Trump and other unnamed “patriot donors” will bankroll the project, although the Secret Service will spend an undisclosed amount on needed security upgrades.
The splashy project could raise eyebrows at a time when Trump and his Republican allies slashed hundreds of billions of dollars in spending on Medicaid for poor and disabled Americans, along with deep cuts in food assistance in his Big Beautiful Bill, which also cuts taxes for the wealthy.
The East Wing will also be “modernized” and some staffers, including aides to First Lady Melania Trump, will be temporarily relocated during construction. Trump has met in recent weeks with the National Park Service, Secret Service and other agencies to discuss the project.
He has long complained that the White House lacks a suitable space to host large gatherings. The East Room of the White House can only accomodate 200 people.
“The president and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come,” White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in a statement.
Trump, who famously brings a real estate mogul’s eye to many issues, has already put his physical stamp on the White House.
He has jazzed up the Oval Office with more gold trim, ordered the grass in the Rose Garden replaced with stone pavers and installed new flagpoles out front.
Trump successfully pushed for the government to obtain a luxury jumbo jet from Qatar that he wants renovated for his use as Air Force One while a new presidential jet is being built by Boeing.
The president portrayed the plane deal as a freebie but Sen. Dick Durbin said this week taxpayers could pay more than $1 billion to retrofit the plane and complete security upgrades.
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