Waste of the Day: Hiding Ballroom Cost
Topline: When President Donald Trump claimed that the new White House ballroom would be funded entirely by private donors, it appears he already knew that would not happen.
The Washington Post reported that a project estimate prepared for the White House in early March showed the ballroom would require $300 million of taxpayer funding. Yet Trump publicly announced on March 31, “This is taxpayer-free. We have no taxpayer putting up 10 cents.”
Key facts: The idea of spending public money on a ballroom is highly subjective. Trump argues it will boost security and is necessary for formal gatherings. Critics argue it is opulent and unneeded.
Regardless, taxpayers deserve full transparency into how their money is spent. Clark Construction had already received tens of millions of dollars of public money by the time Trump announced the ballroom was privately funded, according to the Washington Post.
Reportedly, “the work was projected to rely heavily on taxpayer dollars from the moment it was announced.” An internal estimate from July 11, 2025, showed the ballroom would cost $270 million, with $100 million coming from taxpayers. But when the White House publicly announced the project on July 31, officials said it would cost $200 million and use only private money.
On Oct. 20, Clark Construction sent an updated estimate to the White House showing the cost had risen to $478 million, according to the Post. Two days later, Trump told reporters the ballroom would only cost $300 million.
By March, the total cost had reached $600 million, including security measures such as what Trump called “the greatest drone empire … to protect Washington.” The Secret Service, the White House Military and the Executive Residence were set to provide a combined $307 million of taxpayer funding.
ABC News reported in June that the White House had transferred $397 million appropriated to the Secret Service under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to a new account called “White House Security Measures.” It remains unclear what the funding is for, but Republican senators including Susan Collins have expressed concern that the money will be used to pay for the ballroom without congressional approval.
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Summary: Trump’s modifications to the Capitol have sparked partisan arguments, but both parties should be committed to being honest about government expenditures.
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