General Discussion

Miles Archer

(21,815 posts) Wed Dec 17, 2025, 03:48 PM Dec 17

I KNOW THIS WILL SHOCK YOU. I KNOW. IT'S SO UNEXPECTED. Trump's $300 M ballroom is now a $400 M ballroom. SHOCKING!

The Daily Beast reported Wednesday that the two-story edifice will include sweeping staircases, residential quarters for guests, and a secure bridge connecting the new space to the presidential residence. On Tuesday, Trump "let it slip" that the project now carries a staggering price tag of $400 million, double the initial estimate.

Court filings released this week provided fresh details about the scope and scale of the now-significantly larger undertaking.

The National Park Service, which maintains the White House grounds, noted the ballroom would "dominate the eastern portion of the site, creating a visual imbalance with the more modestly scaled West Wing and Executive Mansion."

To boot, streets surrounding the complex would be closed through 2028, and the project has necessitated the removal of historic landscaping, including gardens associated with former first lady Jackie Kennedy and a magnolia planted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942.

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-ballroom-2674429790/

10 replies

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I KNOW THIS WILL SHOCK YOU. I KNOW. IT'S SO UNEXPECTED. Trump's $300 M ballroom is now a $400 M ballroom. SHOCKING! (Original Post) Miles Archer Dec 17 OP

Friedrich would be proud. /nt bucolic_frolic Dec 17 #1

Who's tracking all the cash they've received from "donors"? C_U_L8R Dec 17 #2

That would be the Trust for the National Mall. Igel Dec 17 #8

He wants to skim another 100 million out of the ballroom's donated funding. patphil Dec 17 #3

It will cost $500M next month - and $1B by summer dalton99a Dec 17 #4

I'm betting that Trump will die of natural causes or otherwise become too demented/senile/feeble ... Intractable Dec 17 #5

I knew that he would turn it in to a hotel... LakeVermilion Dec 17 #6

Did you ever see the Brady Bunch movie with Gary Cole and Shelley Long? Miles Archer Dec 17 #7

The Trump economy is so bad, even the price of ballrooms is skyrocketing. RedWhiteBlueIsRacist Dec 17 #9

Didn't it used to be $200M? Retrograde Dec 17 #10

bucolic_frolic

(54,068 posts)

1. Friedrich would be proud. /nt

Reply to Miles Archer (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2025, 03:51 PM

Dec 17

C_U_L8R

(48,892 posts)

2. Who's tracking all the cash they've received from "donors"?

Reply to Miles Archer (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2025, 03:55 PM

Dec 17

They wouldn't be Trumps unless they were skimming, if not wholesale stealing.

Igel

(37,383 posts)

8. That would be the Trust for the National Mall.

Reply to C_U_L8R (Reply #2)

Wed Dec 17, 2025, 04:53 PM

Dec 17

In coordination with the National Park Service and White House design authorities ...

https://factually.co/fact-checks/politics/white-house-renovation-private-donors-331c5d

patphil

(8,733 posts)

3. He wants to skim another 100 million out of the ballroom's donated funding.

Reply to Miles Archer (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2025, 04:03 PM

Dec 17

I'll bet it goes up to 600 million before it's done, and actually never gets completed.

dalton99a

(92,161 posts)

4. It will cost $500M next month - and $1B by summer

Reply to Miles Archer (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2025, 04:15 PM

Dec 17

Intractable

(1,658 posts)

5. I'm betting that Trump will die of natural causes or otherwise become too demented/senile/feeble ...

Reply to Miles Archer (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2025, 04:26 PM

Dec 17

to enjoy this thing, if it ever gets built.

LakeVermilion

(1,501 posts)

6. I knew that he would turn it in to a hotel...

Reply to Miles Archer (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2025, 04:36 PM

Dec 17

That's all he knows. Usually he just stamps his name on them. He can't build anything.

Miles Archer

(21,815 posts)

7. Did you ever see the Brady Bunch movie with Gary Cole and Shelley Long?

Reply to LakeVermilion (Reply #6)

Wed Dec 17, 2025, 04:41 PM

Dec 17

One of the big jokes was that "architect" Mike Brady submitted a number of designs for approval, and every one of them was a very minor variation of his own house. He had one idea, that was it, and he kept trying to repurpose it.

Same for Trump. All he knows is slapping his name on a hotel or golf course.

RedWhiteBlueIsRacist

(1,842 posts)

9. The Trump economy is so bad, even the price of ballrooms is skyrocketing.

Reply to Miles Archer (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2025, 05:10 PM

Dec 17

Retrograde

(11,375 posts)

10. Didn't it used to be $200M?

Reply to Miles Archer (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2025, 05:16 PM

Dec 17

and not cost taxpayers a cent?

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