Donald Trump has desperately tried to justify the escalating cost of his White House ballroom project while millions suffer in a cost-of-living crisis.
In a rambling Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, the 79-year-old president attempted to explain why the estimated cost of the $400 million vanity project has doubled since its announcement last year.
“The only reason the cost has changed is because, after deep rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal, which would not have been adequate to handle the necessary events, meetings, and even future Inaugurations,” Trump wrote.
“The original price was 200 Million Dollars, the double sized, highest quality completed project will be something less than 400 Million Dollars. It will be magnificent, safe, and secure! This was a necessary change, it was done long ago, but the Fake News failed to report it, trying to make it look like there was a cost overrun. Actually, it is coming in ahead of schedule, and under budget!”
Trump is becoming increasingly vocal about the plans to build a ballroom where the East Wing of the White House once stood, even as his war with Iran drags on.
The president immediately demanded that the ballroom be allowed to go ahead in the wake of the assassination attempt against him at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25.
Trump has boasted that his ballroom would provide additional security for top U.S. officials by featuring drone-proof roofing, bulletproof glass windows, and a bomb shelter.
While the estimate for the ballroom project has ballooned from $200 million to $400 million, Trump has said it will be funded by donors rather than at taxpayers’ expense.
However, Senate Republicans are seeking a mammoth $1 billion taxpayer-funded reconciliation package that will include funding for “security adjustments and upgrades” to the ballroom.
Last month, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that 56 percent percent of Americans oppose Trump’s decision to demolish the East Wing of the White House to make way for his $400 million ballroom, compared to just 28 percent who support the project.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed a lawsuit to halt construction of Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom until it gets approval from Congress and passes other independent reviews.
Work on the ballroom was temporarily suspended after a federal judge granted the group a preliminary injunction in March on the grounds that the project needed congressional approval.
Last month, a U.S. appeals court allowed construction to resume pending the conclusion of the legal challenge.
