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Ballroom Security Fight
The U.S. Senate advanced an immigration spending bill after Republicans removed $1bn (£745m) in funding for President Donald Trump’s new White House ballroom, with the $1bn intended for US Secret Service security upgrades as part of the construction.
In a 53-45 vote on Wednesday, senators agreed to move forward on the legislation funding agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, while the chamber debated the measure and introduced amendments before a final vote.
Democrats opposed Trump’s attempts to build a massive ballroom on the site of the demolished White House East Wing, and the BBC said the decision to strip funds marked a setback to Trump’s plans.
The BBC also tied the ballroom funding fight to a broader legislative standoff, noting Republicans objected to the Department of Justice’s attempt to establish an "anti-weaponisation" fund to provide $1.8bn to people allegedly harmed by government overreach.
GOP Split and Defeat
Separate from the Senate floor vote, the Washington Examiner reported that seven Senate Republicans supported blocking construction of Trump’s yet-to-be-built East Wing ballroom without congressional approval, naming Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Jerry Moran, Dan Sullivan, Thom Tillis, Jon Husted, and Bill Cassidy.
The Examiner said the amendment would have banned the use of federal funds and private donations to construct the ballroom unless Trump received the green light from Congress, and it was defeated after needing 60 votes.
The Washington Examiner quoted the office of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying, "Congress should be a check on Trump’s corruption."
In the same dispute, the Guardian reported that Senate Republicans formally dropped plans for $1bn to fund security at Trump’s ballroom after the parliamentarian determined the money did not comply with the rules of budget reconciliation.
Construction, Costs, and Litigation
While the Senate fight continued, the USA Today roundup said Trump’s White House ballroom project first announced in July 2025 saw its cost rise from $200 million to $400 million since the announcement, after Trump demolished the East Wing to make room for a 90,000-square-foot structure.
“Senate Republicans on Wednesday stripped up to $1 billion in security funding for President Donald Trump's proposed White House ballroom and the Secret Service from a revised immigration enforcement bill”
USA Today reported that a federal judge ordered the project to be stopped in March and that an order on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from above-ground construction work on the project, while the construction site remained active.
The Independent quoted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer attacking the project, saying, "At the very moment Americans are asking, 'How do I make ends meet?' Donald Trump is asking, 'How do I get taxpayers to fund my vanity projects?'"
In parallel, EFE said Trump compared the controversial ballroom he is building to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and criticized those trying to halt its construction, writing on his Truth Social account that "they have a ballroom and that it is called the Great Palace of China".
