Donald Trump accused of ‘deceiving the public’ as claims over $250million White House ballroom exposed
Donald Trump's previous comments about his new White House ballroom have come back to haunt him as the president is accused of lying about the construction of the new addition
Donald Trump's earlier remarks about his new White House ballroom have returned to haunt him as the president faces accusations of deceiving the public about how much the addition would affect the building. Trump had initially claimed that his $250 million ballroom would be positioned "near" the existing structure, but wouldn't alter it.
Yet, construction crews started demolishing sections of the East Wing, the traditional headquarters for the first lady, on Monday.
Striking new photos of the demolition revealed construction machinery ripping into the East Wing facade with windows and other structural elements scattered across the ground. "It won't interfere with the current building," the President declared back in July, reports the Irish Star.
"It'll be near it but not touching it - and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of. It's my favorite. It's my favorite place. I love it," he added.
A video of Trump's earlier promise has been circulated on X, where it has garnered over a million views, following the demolition.
Critics were swift to challenge the president. "If his lips move, you can assume he's lying," one wrote. A second commented: "He effortlessly lies like the rest of us breathe."
A third noted: "Funny! The first term he called the WH a dump. He does not value the history of the WH and he doesn't deserve to be there!"
Another critic fumed: "It doesn't pay respect to the existing building. It destroys it to make room for an unnecessary space that has nothing to do with governing, democracy, or the American people. It is a ballroom. The purpose of a ballroom is to house balls. This is a very sad day."
The East Wing was constructed in 1902 and contains multiple offices, including those of the first lady. It has undergone renovations throughout the years, with an additional floor added in 1942.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the offices will be temporarily moved during construction. "Nothing will be torn down," she stated when the project was revealed in July.
Trump revealed the construction kickoff in a Truth Social post on Monday.
He posted: "I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom.
"Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!"
The president continued: "For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway - with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!
"The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly. This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come! President DJT."
The White House has pushed ahead with the massive construction endeavor despite lacking approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which green-lights construction work and major renovations to government buildings in the Washington region.
Commission chairman Will Scharf, who also serves as the White House staff secretary and ranks among Trump's senior advisers, stated at the commission's September meeting that the agency lacks authority over demolition or site preparation activities for federal property buildings.
"What we deal with is essentially construction, vertical build," Scharf remarked last month. Whether the White House had submitted the ballroom blueprints for the agency's review and authorization remained uncertain.
The White House is set to undergo its biggest structural change since 1948 with the addition of a massive 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
Trump has deemed the East Room, currently the largest room in the White House with a capacity of 200, too small.
In July, he announced plans for a new ballroom that could seat 650 people. However, during a recent dinner for wealthy business executives who are funding the project, Trump revealed an expansion in the ballroom's size.
He stated that the ballroom will now accommodate 999 people. The White House has promised to disclose information on the donors contributing to the ballroom's construction, but has yet to do so.