President Donald Trump visited the construction site of his planned ballroom at the location of the former White House East Wing on Tuesday – days after about $1 billion in proposed security funding, some of which was for the ballroom, was ruled out of a Senate GOP reconciliation bill.
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President Donald Trump visited the construction site of his planned ballroom at the site of the former White House East Wing on Tuesday – days after about $1 billion in proposed security funding, some of which for the ballroom, was ruled out of a Senate GOP reconciliation bill
“Congress is approving money for security. Some of it may go here for additional security. I don’t know,” he said. “But for this building, I put up the money to build this building. Along with a lot of great patriots.”
Trump’s visit to the site comes days after the Senate parliamentarian determined that the $1 billion proposal for security additions at the White House grounds – including the ballroom – does not meet procedural rules
Democrats said GOP senators would need to remove the measure from the immigration reconciliation bill, or else they would raise the Byrd Rule, which requires 60 votes to include “extraneous” provisions or overrule the parliamentarian
“Congress is approving money for security. Some of it may go here for additional security. I don’t know,” he said. “But for this building, I put up the money to build this building, along with a lot of great patriots.”
The White House previously shared a list of tech, cryptocurrency and private equity companies, as well as members of his own administration, who had given donations.
On Tuesday, Trump said that security features such as “a shield that protects everything that’s inside, everything that’s on top” were incorporated into the overall plans.
“This is a gift to the United States of America,” Trump told reporters, “and more than a gift, it’s going to be one of the most beautiful buildings that’s ever been built in the country or in Washington, D.C.”
President Donald Trump tours Ballroom construction around the outside the White House, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
With the sounds of construction in the background, Trump largely shared details about the project and took off-topic questions from reporters for about 45 minutes Tuesday.
“The only budget change would be that we doubled the size at the request of the military,” he said. “We doubled the size, but we’re right on budget, right on plan.”
Initially, the ballroom was projected to hold 650 people, but the plans were later revised to fit 999 people.
Trump said that the additional space was needed to host world leaders visiting the White House in the future.
“We have no place to put them,” he said.”We had the king and the queen the other day, and we had a thousand people wanted (to attend).”
Trump said he hoped the ballroom, once completed, will be used for a century, and he noted that there would only be a few months left in his second term when the ballroom is expected to be completed.
“This is really for other presidents. This is not for me,” he said.
Trump’s visit to the site comes days after the Senate parliamentarian determined that the $1 billion proposal for security additions at the White House grounds – including the ballroom – does not meet procedural rules.
Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., shared a statement about the parliamentarian’s decision Saturday evening. They said GOP senators must remove the measure from the immigration reconciliation bill or else Democrats would raise the Byrd Rule, which requires 60 votes to include “extraneous” provisions or overrule the parliamentarian. They also said they would challenge any future attempts to include funding for the ballroom.
On Tuesday, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called the parliamentarian’s decision “a win for the American people across the country.”
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is suing the Trump administration over the ballroom project in federal court, and a federal appeals court let construction continue last month ahead of a June 5 review.
In their most recent filing in the lawsuit last week, prosecutors contended that the ballroom is necessary for national security following three alleged assassination attempts on Trump within the past two years. Most recently, an armed California man was accused of storming last month’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where Trump and other administration officials were in attendance.
“The assassination attempts make clear what Defendants have been explaining from the start of the case: Presidents need a secure space for significant events, which currently does not exist in Washington, D.C.,” prosecutors wrote.
