White House ballroom costs may rise to $600M, with half coming from taxpayers: Report
by Ashleigh Fields - 06/16/26 11:28 AM ET
Records show the price tag for the White House ballroom is rising to $600 million, with half of the costs funded by taxpayer dollars, according to a new report from The Washington Post.
The news comes months after President Trump said private donors would pay for the $400 million initiative to construct a new ballroom in place of the East Wing.
At the end of March, Trump told reporters “We’re donating a building that’s approximately $400 million.”
But records detailing the White House ballroom construction being led by the Virginia based firm, Clark Construction, show that in March of 2025, officials planned to derive $293 million from “private sources” to fund the project while $155 million would be pooled from Secret Service funds, $149 million from the White House Military Office and $3 million from the Executive Residence, according to the Washington Post.
The latter three sources are funded by taxpayer dollars.
Clark Construction did not immediately respond to requests for comment inquiring about the details of their contract and corresponding payments.
The White House has noted that security is a key part of the project.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told The Hill, “The East Wing Modernization Project is inextricably tied to the security of the President, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets.”
“The press release announcing the construction of the ballroom highlighted coordination with the White House Military Office and the United States Secret Service regarding design features and planning,” he added, again highlighting Trump and “generous American patriots” funding the ballroom.
Ingle said the space would be a “secure and appropriate venue for Presidents for generations to come.”
Trump has repeatedly referred to the project as a “gift” to the American public.
But the ballroom has been controversial with members of Congress, in part because of the sudden destruction of the East Wing to make way for it. Lawmakers in both parties have suggested they do not want to see tax money going toward the project.
Last October, a slate of private companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Meta Platforms, Apple, Google, Coinbase, Comcast, T-Mobile, the Adelson Family Foundation and crypto investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss agreed to back the project through donations to the Trust for the National Mall, a 501(c)3 group funding the ballroom.
This has raised concerns about corruption as corporate backers of the ballroom could also have federal contracts worth millions of dollars in revenue from the government.
Trump has discussed expansions of the project, including underground military bunker, security enhancements and expanded the seating space from 650 guests to 999 people, that could drive up its cost.
The president also requested $1 billion from Congress to upgrade ballroom security through a budget reconciliation bill after Trump faced an assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ dinner hosted annually at the Washington Hilton.
Senators ultimately rejected the measure with some pointing to the president’s comments in March, committing to using only private donors for the ballroom construction.
“President Trump indicated that the ballroom was going to be built with private donations,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) previously told The Post.
“I think that’s the commitment that should be kept,” she added.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5926146-trump-ballroom-taxpayer-funding/
