Trump Ballroom Costs Balloon

Leaked estimates reported by The Washington Post show President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom and East Wing project could cost as much as $600 million, far above earlier figures of $200 million to $300 million. The records indicate taxpayers may cover more than half the bill, contradicting Trump’s repeated assurances that private donors would fund the project entirely and that it would cost the public nothing. Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged that public money would help pay for the project, intensifying scrutiny over the demolition of the historic East Wing and the administration’s shifting explanations. Critics seized on the disclosure as evidence that the ballroom plan was built on misleading claims while its projected cost continues to rise.