Donald Trump asserted on Friday, May 15 that the opening of his controversial ballroom at the White House was scheduled for September 2028. This project is the subject of a lively legal and political battle, particularly regarding its financing.
Donald Trump stated on Friday, May 15 that the opening of his controversial ballroom at the White House was planned “for around September 2028.” Posting a photo on his platform Truth Social of his visit to China, the American president declared that “China has its ballroom, and the United States should have one too.”
“It is under construction, ahead of schedule, and will be the most beautiful facility of its kind in the entire country,” he wrote. “The opening is planned for around September 2028,” added the head of state.
This ballroom project was announced by the White House last July. In October, the Republican president bulldozed an entire wing of the White House to build this ballroom, which is supposed to accommodate up to 1,000 people for various receptions and dinners in honor of foreign dignitaries.
Doubling the Budget
The images of the gutted building have sparked criticism from the Democratic opposition, accusing the Trump administration of wastefulness and extravagance at a time when Americans are facing a high cost of living.
In December, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) filed a lawsuit, accusing the Trump administration of not meeting the legal requirements for public inquiry or obtaining Congressional approval for this project. The NTHP is a non-profit organization mandated by Congress for the preservation of historic buildings.
The budget for this project, initially funded according to the president by private donations, has also increased from $200 million at the time of the announcement to $400 million “after in-depth studies,” according to a statement from Donald Trump in early May.
Legal and Political Battle
Since its announcement, the project has been the subject of a legal and political battle. A bill presented by Republicans last week partially contradicts the promise of exclusively private funding for the ballroom.
The text, which largely focuses on funding for immigration police (ICE) and border police (CBP) for over $60 billion, also includes one billion dollars for the Secret Service, the agency responsible for protecting political figures in the United States. This billion dollars is intended to be used for security infrastructure related to the ballroom project at the White House.
“At a time when Americans are struggling to make ends meet, Republicans say ‘let them eat cake!’ and offer a billion dollars to Trump for a ballroom,” criticized Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a letter to other senators on Monday, referencing an apocryphal quote from the French queen Marie Antoinette.
Becoming a particularly sensitive subject for Donald Trump, he frequently mentions the progress of the construction of the east wing of the presidential residence during public appearances seemingly unrelated to the topic.
