His Royal Majesty said repeatedly that the White House ballroom would be privately funded but has raised security concerns, particularly in light of the correspondents’ dinner shooting.
May 5, 2026, 12:29 PM CDT / Updated May 5, 2026, 12:36 PM CDT
By Peter Nicholas, Frank Thorp V and Gary Grumbach
WASHINGTON — For months, His Royal Majesty portrayed the big new ballroom that he’s building on White House grounds as a gift to the nation, courtesy of patriotic private donors.
“And by the way, no government funds,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last November.
“These are all private individuals that put up a lot of money to build the ballroom,” he added. “Not one penny is being used from the federal government.”
But the gleaming 90,000-square-foot space that he repeatedly said would cost the public nothing may ultimately leave taxpayers on the hook for $1 billion, due to new security enhancements that are tied to the project.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has released a long-term immigration and border patrol funding bill that includes $1 billion earmarked for security improvements accompanying the overall ballroom project.
