President Donald Trump on Thursday night took a moment to update the nation on one of his favorite topics: the massive ballroom he has planned for the White House.
“It is desperately needed, and will be very special!” Trump wrote on Truth Social late Thursday night.
He also said that it was “coming along fantastically well” and claimed that it’s “on time, and under budget.”
In reality, the budget has risen dramatically in just a matter of months. The White House announcement last year said it would cost $200 million. It later shot up to $300 million, then to $400 million and more.
Trump said it would be paid for by private donors.
But then Trump’s Republican allies in Congress tried to earmark $1 billion in taxpayer money to the project ― something they’ve abandoned, at least temporarily, after a public outcry.
Trump also insisted that the ballroom is “at a much higher quality than I ever promised, including the DronePort, and ALL of the other many Military elements, which are all vital for National Security.”
However, none of that has been built yet.
Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images
Trump last year demolished the East Wing of the White House and began construction on the ballroom, which has become an obsession. He mentions it, often unprompted, in social media posts, during meetings, and when speaking to the media.
Earlier this year, Trump got up during a meeting with oil industry executives so he could gaze out a White House window toward the place where it will be built.
But at least one legal challenge is threatening the project.
The president on Thursday attacked plaintiff Alison Hoagland ― a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation ― who alleged “aesthetic injury” in the case.
“The woman that sued me has absolutely no STANDING to do so,” he wrote. “This should not even be a case, and it is highly damaging to our Country.”
The president’s full post is below:
