A MAGA civil war is erupting over the prospect of taxpayer money being used to fund Donald Trump’s ever-expanding White House ballroom project.
As new details emerge about a sprawling underground military fortress that Trump has been quietly building beneath the ballroom, a growing number of Republicans have raised concerns over a bill proposing up to $1 billion in taxpayer-funded security upgrades tied to the controversial development.
The opposition comes ahead of an expected vote this week, with Republican senators such as Rand Paul, Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Bill Cassidy all balking at the cost.
“One billion in ballroom funding is just not going to fly, right? It’s just not going to fly,” said Murkowski.
Cassidy, the Louisiana Senator who was defeated in a GOP primary on Saturday by a Trump-endorsed candidate and another opponent, has also vowed not to vote for the ballroom project.
“I think this is just a spit in the eye insult to all my taxpayers in Louisiana to spend a billion on the ballroom when we should be doing something about the high price of gas, groceries, and healthcare,” he told his local network, WWLTV.
Trump has been stepping up pressure on Senate Republicans to pass funding for the ballroom, despite initially insisting that “not one dime” would be spent by taxpayers.
On Tuesday, he escorted reporters through the construction site where the East Wing once stood, describing the planned building as “potentially the most beautiful building in all of Washington.”
But in a jaw-dropping disclosure, the 79-year-old president also revealed that the ballroom was, in fact, just a “shield” for a massive, multi-level subterranean bunker being built below.
Other features of the project included titanium fencing so strong that “a bulldozer cannot knock it over”, he said, windows four inches thick, and “9000 pound concrete.”
There would also be a hardened roof constructed of “impenetrable steel” able to withstand a direct attack and enough space to accommodate what he described as a “drone empire.”
“We went down six stories. It’s actually far more complex,” Trump said.
“They’re building a hospital—it’s a military hospital—they’re building all sorts of research facilities, they’re building meeting rooms.
“The ballroom is really a shield and protecting all of the things that are being built here,” he added, pointing to the giant hole in the ground where construction was taking place behind him.
The comments are the first time the president has discussed how expansive the project will be, far beyond the scope of the Mar-a-Lago-style event space initially pitched.
But the revelations have fueled broader criticism that the ballroom is becoming less a ceremonial venue than a heavily fortified monument to Trump himself.
Preservation groups continue to challenge the demolition of the East Wing in court, while some observers have raised fears that Trump is building the facility to cling to power.
“Trump is going to use the ballroom as a bunker. He’s not planning to leave the White House even after the 2028 presidential election,” Democrat and strategic consultant Sergio Grant wrote on X.
Republicans, including Lindsey Graham, Katie Britt and Eric Schmitt began pushing for additional funding for the ballroom after the shooting at the White House Correspondent’s Association dinner last month, tying it with a bill that is otherwise focused on immigration enforcement.
But as MAGA divisions emerge over the funding package, some Republicans have pushed to reduce the $1 billion figure, while others are privately pushing to simply remove the provision from the bill altogether.
Asked if he was worried about the project’s funding, Trump on Wednesday told reporters: “No. The ballroom is being built. I’m building the ballroom... It’s actually a military complex. The roof of the ballroom is a drone port and it gives great safety to everything below.
“We’re building a really great ballroom but it’s also a strong military position for our people,” he said.
