Trump Revives Plan to Build $100 Million White House Ballroom

[Social Media]

 

President Donald Trump has once again proposed building a grand $100 million ballroom at the White House, insisting he would personally fund the project. Trump, who has long criticized the use of temporary tents for hosting state dinners, reiterated his desire to create a permanent, luxurious space similar to those at his properties, including Mar-a-Lago.

 

Speaking at a signing ceremony in the White House’s East Room, the largest indoor space currently available for events, Trump highlighted the need for a grander venue. “This room is packed,” he said, noting that there were “people outside that can’t even get in.” He recalled having made the offer before, stating, “It was going to cost $100 million dollars… I offered to do it to the Biden administration.” However, former officials from the Obama administration claim Trump originally made the proposal to them after attending a state dinner for the Indian prime minister, which was held in a tent on the White House lawn.

 

Trump joked that he would now attempt to approve the idea himself. “I’m going to try and make the offer to myself,” he said, drawing laughter. “We’ll see if Trump will approve it.”

 

David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Obama, confirmed that Trump had initially proposed the idea in 2010. In his memoir Believer, Axelrod recalled Trump’s disapproval of temporary event spaces. “I see you have these state dinners on the lawn there in these shit little tents,” Trump had remarked. “I build ballrooms. Beautiful ballrooms. You can go to Tampa and check one of them out for yourself.” Trump remained critical of the practice, later telling radio host Rush Limbaugh in 2011 that the use of tents for welcoming foreign dignitaries was disgraceful. “When a dignitary comes in from India, from anywhere, they open up a tent,” he said. “A tent! … An old, rotten tent that frankly they probably rented, pay a guy millions of dollars for it even though it’s worth about $2, okay?”

 

During his 2016 campaign, Trump emphasized the safety risks of hosting state dinners under canvas and pointed to Mar-a-Lago’s ballroom as an example of what could be achieved. “What many consider to be the single greatest ballroom in the world,” he boasted. At the time, New York Post columnist Cindy Adams predicted Trump would address the issue swiftly once in office. “The White House lacks a big party space,” she wrote. “Galas scatter through separate rooms.”

 

Despite this, no ballroom was built during Trump’s first term. The most notable architectural addition to the White House grounds during his presidency was a tennis pavilion designed under the direction of then-First Lady Melania Trump.

 

Trump revived the ballroom proposal while speaking about his broader vision for renovations, including his recent suggestion to clear out and redevelop the Gaza Strip. Turning to Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, he mused, “We could use a bigger room, right, Marsha? It would actually be a beautiful addition.” Still focused on his longstanding issue with temporary structures, he added, “Somehow I think we’ve outgrown the tent stuff. Don’t you think?”

 

Based on a report by The Times 2025-02-07

 

 

 

 

[JonnyF]

5 hours ago, Social Media said:

Trump joked that he would now attempt to approve the idea himself. “I’m going to try and make the offer to myself,” he said, drawing laughter. “We’ll see if Trump will approve it.”

 

Brilliant 😄.

 

Very generous of Trump to spend his own money on this. 

 

What a difference to Biden trying to suck every last cent out of taxpayers money to enrich his (now pardoned) crime family. 

[Jonnapat]

3 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

Brilliant 😄.

 

Very generous of Trump to spend his own money on this. 

 

What a difference to Biden trying to suck every last cent out of taxpayers money to enrich his (now pardoned) crime family. 

 

[Baht Simpson]

Trump's balls. Has a ring about it. 🙂

[Eric Loh]

Elon's DOGE austerity department will not approve. 

[frank83628]

I have to admit I was slightly disappointed to read on the 4th line he would fund it himself, I was hoping to see all the Anti Trumpers and TD crew here  that, over the last week have vehemently defended the wasting of billions of Tax dollars exposed by DOGE to instantly flip flop and go on the attack

 

Lunchtime fun ruined . Com

[Trentham]

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

Brilliant 😄.

 

Very generous of Trump to spend his own money on this. 

 

What a difference to Biden trying to suck every last cent out of taxpayers money to enrich his (now pardoned) crime family. 

Where is the "vomit" emoji?

[JonnyF]

7 minutes ago, Trentham said:

Where is the "vomit" emoji?

 

[rudi49jr]

Scratch free school lunches, use $100 million to build a ‘much needed’ White House ballroom. Trump certainly has his priorities straight, doesn’t he?

[Purdey]

Wasting money like this is the opposite of what he promised voters. I understand that he will get a lot of the costs back if he hires his own people to build it.

[WDSmart]

Despicable! 😡

[proton]

50 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Wasting money like this is the opposite of what he promised voters. I understand that he will get a lot of the costs back if he hires his own people to build it.

 

Not tax payers money so you can stop moaning

[proton]

8 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

Despicable! 😡

 

Why? he is paying for it, very generous 

[WDSmart]

3 minutes ago, proton said:

12 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

Despicable! 😡

 

Why? he is paying for it, very generous 

There are three reasons I can think of right now:
1. Trump is not generous, and any money he pays will not be his.
2. The White House doesn't need a ballroom. That's for frivolous activities.
3. Trump. Anything he does or says is despicable to me. 

[Hamus Yaigh]

6 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

Brilliant 😄.

 

Very generous of Trump to spend his own money on this. 

 

What a difference to Biden trying to suck every last cent out of taxpayers money to enrich his (now pardoned) crime family. 

One would need to be seriously dim to not see a conflict of interest in the whole idea.

[theshu25]

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

Wasting money like this is the opposite of what he promised voters. I understand that he will get a lot of the costs back if he hires his own people to build it.

Would not matter whom build it.The grifter will find fault and not pay anyway.

[candide]

12 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

There are three reasons I can think of right now:
1. Trump is not generous, and any money he pays will not be his.
2. The White House doesn't need a ballroom. That's for frivolous activities.
3. Trump. Anything he does or says is despicable to me. 

It will certainly not be his own money! He will ask his MAGA fans to contribute and they will happily oblige! 🙂

[WorriedNoodle]

12 hours ago, Social Media said:

Trump joked that he would now attempt to approve the idea himself. “I’m going to try and make the offer to myself,” he said, drawing laughter. “We’ll see if Trump will approve it.”

This “joke” could be seen as an expression of authoritarian tendencies. The idea of a president approving a plan for the White House by himself, without any checks or balances, is not in line with American democratic principles. It’s true that the president does have significant power under the executive branch, but they’re still subject to the other branches of government and the Constitution.

Those who love the idea of a dictator will find it funny? Do you think its funny?

[frank83628]

5 minutes ago, WorriedNoodle said:

This “joke” could be seen as an expression of authoritarian tendencies. The idea of a president approving a plan for the White House by himself, without any checks or balances, is not in line with American democratic principles. It’s true that the president does have significant power under the executive branch, but they’re still subject to the other branches of government and the Constitution.

Those who love the idea of a dictator will find it funny? Do you think its funny?

It can only been seen as expression of authoritarian tendencies if you are a humourless, uptight, frothey mouthed trump hater.... normal perople would see it as the joke it was.

[frank83628]

15 minutes ago, candide said:

It will certainly not be his own money! He will ask his MAGA fans to contribute and they will happily oblige! 🙂

Maybe he can take a loan based on the inflated value of a property, pretty sure that's been done before.

[spot]

7 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

Brilliant 😄.

 

Very generous of Trump to spend his own money on this. 

 

What a difference to Biden trying to suck every last cent out of taxpayers money to enrich his (now pardoned) crime family. 

There's no way he's going to fund it himself. 

[cjinchiangrai]

How fancy of a space does he need for Big Macs and KFC? Besides, it is only Un and Putin visiting anyway.

[FritsSikkink]

7 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Very generous of Trump to spend his own money on this. 

 

If you believe he will pay, i have the Eiffel tower for sale.

[dinsdale]

58 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

There are three reasons I can think of right now:
1. Trump is not generous, and any money he pays will not be his.
2. The White House doesn't need a ballroom. That's for frivolous activities.
3. Trump. Anything he does or says is despicable to me. 

And there you have it in point 3. The "syndrome that cannot be named". Stop illegals flooding across the border. despicable. Deport illegal immigrants some of whom have committed serious crimes. Despicable. Search and find massive waste of tax payers dollars. Despicable. Get men out of women's sports. Despicable. Get hostages held by Hamas released. despicable. More than likely bring an end to the war in Ukraine. Despicable. As I say a clear case of the "syndrome that cannot be named". The list of good things that Trump is doing which in your mind is despicable will continue to grow.

[blaze master]

1 hour ago, WDSmart said:

There are three reasons I can think of right now:
1. Trump is not generous, and any money he pays will not be his.
2. The White House doesn't need a ballroom. That's for frivolous activities.
3. Trump. Anything he does or says is despicable to me. 

 

So if Trump saved a child from a burning building. Despicable ? 

 

Your hate runs so deep. Must be the socialist in you that cares so much like you always bark about.

[WDSmart]

9 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

The list of good things that Trump is doing which in your mind is despicable will continue to grow.

Yes! You are correct in this last statement, except for calling them "good things." Nothing Trump does or says he'll do is a "good thing."

[spidermike007]

And all this from a man who claims he's going to trim the deficit, and yet he wants to invade Gaza and rebuild it so that's a half a trillion dollars, he wants to go to war with Panama and take over the canal, he wants to go to war with Denmark and take over Greenland, so what are we at 3 trillion in additional deficit money and counting. 

[WDSmart]

5 minutes ago, blaze master said:

 

So if Trump saved a child from a burning building. Despicable ? 

 

Your hate runs so deep. Must be the socialist in you that cares so much like you always bark about.

Trump would not save anyone from a burning building unless it resulted in a profit for him.

Yes, my hate runs deep. And, yes, I'm sure much of that is because of the anti-capitalist/socialist part of me that I do add to my posts from time to time. 

[blaze master]

2 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

Trump would not save anyone from a burning building unless it resulted in a profit for him.

Yes, my hate runs deep. And, yes, I'm sure much of that is because of the anti-capitalist/socialist part of me that I do add to my posts from time to time. 

 

Your hypocritical posts you mean right. 

[Baht Simpson]

4 hours ago, Baht Simpson said:

Trump's balls. Has a ring about it. 🙂

It'll be interesting watching Trump as he holds his balls and dances.