Overview
- President Trump said the under-construction White House ballroom is ahead of schedule and “bigger than I told you,” offering his latest status update at a Monday briefing.
- He described security features including bulletproof glass and what he called a “drone-free roof,” asserting the building will be a “safe” venue.
- Trump has raised the project’s estimated cost to about $400 million from an initial $200 million, while the administration maintains that private donations will cover all expenses with no taxpayer funding.
- He asserted the ballroom will host an inauguration, but the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has not issued any confirmation.
- Construction followed the East Wing’s demolition; preservationists have sued in federal court to halt the project for formal reviews, and earlier this month Trump replaced an architect who warned a roughly 90,000-square-foot hall would dwarf the 55,000-square-foot White House.