Full story
Ballroom costs rise
The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project is projected to cost $600 million, with more than half coming from taxpayers, and the report traced the figure to a detailed cost estimate prepared for the Trump administration by Clark Construction.
“Watch CBS News Copyright ©2026 CBS Interactive Inc”
Euronews said the project began last year when Trump tore down the entire historic East Wing of the White House, and it noted that Trump had previously estimated the cost at $400 million and repeatedly insisted private donors would foot the bill.
The Washington Post said internal contractor estimates projected taxpayers would be on the hook for half of a price tag that had swelled to $600 million by March.
In response to the reporting, the White House issued a statement saying “President Trump and generous American patriots are funding the ballroom to the tune of approximately $400 million,” while the builder said details of the project are confidential.
Judge, security, and disputes
A judge ordered the suspension of the construction of the White House ballroom, and TF1 Info quoted Judge Richard Leon saying, "The President of the United States is the guardian of the White House for future generations of presidential families. He is, however, not the owner!"
RTBF reported that Federal Judge Richard Leon extended the suspension of surface work while allowing the continuation of an underground portion of the project linked to "national security imperatives," and it said the judge allowed excavations, bunkers, bomb shelters, protective partitions, or even medical facilities to continue.
The Washington Post said Trump’s pitch has been anchored in a repeated promise that Americans won’t have to pay for it, even as the Post reported internal contractor estimates projected taxpayers would cover half of the $600 million price tag by March.
USA Today reported that the White House argued funding related to security—including a hospital underneath the ballroom and a rooftop drone center—is separate from the ballroom project, while the Post found tens of millions of dollars in public funds had already gone toward the project.
Political fallout and public reaction
USA Today reported that Democrats in Congress seized on the report and quoted Democratic House Whip Katherine Clark, D-Massachusetts, saying, "How many times did Trump say zero taxpayer dollars would go to his gilded ballroom?"
“The project began last year when Trump, with little warning and without consulting Congress, tore down the entire historic East Wing of the White House”
The Washington Post said Trump has at times said the Secret Service and the military would contribute security enhancements, without elaborating on the price of those upgrades or the source of their funding, and it tracked Trump’s shifting public cost estimates from $200 million to $400 million to $300 million.
USA Today said Senate Republicans stripped a proposed $1 billion the White House wanted for security tied to the ballroom from a larger reconciliation bill that boosted border and immigration enforcement, while work continued at the construction site.
The Washington Post and USA Today both pointed to public opposition, with USA Today citing a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll in October 2025 finding 56% of Americans opposed the East Wing’s demolition and ballroom project, including 45% who said they “strongly oppose” it.
