WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Shouting over the banging and clanging sounds from heavy construction equipment, President on Tuesday gave a group of reporters a closer look at the construction for the White House ballroom he’s building on the to mount a defense for the project that has hit a speed bump in Congress.
The administration has asked for $1 billion from taxpayers for security additions on the White House campus, including for the ballroom. But the the proposal could not be included in a bill to fund immigrant enforcement agencies for three years, and several Republican lawmakers have balked at the price tag in an election year where voters are grappling with gasoline, grocery and other prices spurred to new heights by the Iran war and the disruption in oil supplies.
So Trump, ever the pitchman, surprised White House reporters by bringing them to a platform overlooking the construction site on a hot and breezy morning as workers in hard hats and fluorescent yellow vests milled about below.
Easels were set up to display renderings of the ballroom building and at least one of them blew off in the wind. 鈥淕ive that to me, I’ll hold it,鈥� Trump told an assistant.
鈥淭here will never be another building like this built, that I can tell you,鈥� Trump told reporters.
He highlighted the security aspects of the building, notably its 鈥渄ead flat鈥� roof made of 鈥渧ery strong steel” and said it is 鈥渄rone-proof鈥� because “if a drone hits it, it bounces off, it won鈥檛 have any impact 鈥� but it鈥檚 also meant as a drone port, so it protects all of Washington, the roof of the building.鈥�
He said the military will 鈥渟tay on it” to keep watch over the city.
There’s no air conditioning or other equipment on the roof for safety reasons, Trump said, explaining that all duct work and equipment like it was hidden within the walls of the complex, which will serve as a 鈥渟hield鈥� for a military hospital, research facilities, offices for the first lady and her staff, and a full-service kitchen 鈥� in addition to a ballroom big enough for 1,000 people.
He said the ballroom building goes down six stories underground and is really 鈥渃omplex鈥� because 鈥渆verything is intertwined.鈥�
鈥淭he roof goes with the ground floor, the ground floor goes with the roof. The roof also goes down into the basement,” the president said. 鈥淭his is one well-knit building. One thing doesn’t work without the other.鈥�
Trump says the ballroom is a 鈥榞ift鈥� to the country
He repeated that the $400 million ballroom cost will be covered by donors, including him, and that the work is being done 鈥渋n strict coordination鈥� with the military and U.S. Secret Service.
鈥淭his is not going to be paid for by the taxpayer,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淭his is a gift to the United States of America.鈥�
But it’s somewhat of an unwanted present as polling shows most Americans oppose the ballroom, which is embroiled in litigation in federal court. A Washington Post/ABC 小萝莉影视/Ipsos poll conducted in April found that a majority, 56%, of U.S. adults oppose Trump鈥檚 decision to tear down the East Wing to make way for the ballroom, while only 28% are in support.
The to halt construction until Congress approves plans for the building.
Trump insisted he will have 鈥渧ery little鈥� time to use the ballroom. He recently announced that it will be ready in September 2028, less than six months before his term ends.
鈥淭his is really for other presidents,” he said.
Trump sidestepped a question about whether he’ll kick in any more of his own money if Congress rejects the $1 billion funding request.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said Trump’s tour was not in response to the difficulties brewing in Congress. 鈥淧resident Trump is the most transparent president of all time and was excited to showcase to the press and American people the amazing gift he is giving to the White House and generations of future presidents to come,” Ingle said.
Trump also touched on some of the other beautification projects he’s undertaking across the city, such as restarting dormant park fountains. He claimed to be spending much less to clean up the than did his immediate predecessors 鈥� both Democrats.
鈥淚’m doing a job on the Reflecting Lake for a fraction of what they paid,鈥� Trump said. He’s having the surface coated in a shade of blue and wants to reopen it by July 4. A separate nonprofit group, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, has sued to halt this project.
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