Overview
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office set an AI image of Marie Antoinette with President Trump’s face as its X profile picture after earlier posting a similar parody about the planned White House ballroom.
- Reporting indicates construction of the new ballroom will continue despite the partial government shutdown because its funding is not tied to the 2026 appropriation, according to unnamed sources cited by Fox News.
- The project is estimated at roughly $200 million, and Trump has said it will not use public funds, with The Hill noting plans for a site near the East Wing and completion before the end of his term in 2029.
- Democrats are tying the fight to health care, pressing to reverse Medicaid cuts in the “big, beautiful bill” and to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies as part of any deal to reopen the government.
- The shutdown is expected to persist in the short term, with no Senate votes on spending until Friday and senators departing Washington, according to CNN reporting relayed by The Independent.