General Discussion

In late July, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt enthusiastically delivered the announcement “that the construction of the new White House ballroom will begin,” she told reporters, and that Donald Trump and other donors “have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million structure.”

By October, the price tag had grown to $250 million. Soon after, it was $300 million. As of Tuesday night, it’s $400 million.

Trump now says his ballroom will cost 0 million (it was supposed to cost 0 million less than two months ago)

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-12-17T02:31:58.080Z

In other words, the cost has doubled over the course of five months. The president acknowledged the new figure at a White House event where he boasted, “I build under budget,” seemingly indifferent to the irony.

The revised total comes on the heels of the Republican bringing in a new architect as his ambitions grew. (The New York Times reported a few weeks ago: “What started as a 500-seat ballroom connected to the East Wing grew to 650 seats. Next, [the president] wanted a 999-seat ballroom, then room for 1,350.” This week, Trump said he wants the ballroom to be large enough to host an inauguration.)......

As for the state of the endeavor, the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a federal lawsuit in the hopes of blocking construction. The White House has pushed back, arguing, among other things, that delays might adversely affect national security.

For now, a federal judge is allowing the project to move forward.

Watch this space.