President Donald Trump presented giant mockups of his controversial White House ballroom to members of the media on Sunday just hours after its design flaws were exposed.
The president appeared on Air Force One after experts writing for the New York Times highlighted multiple flaws in the ballroom’s design, including the use of fake windows, columns that “block interior ballroom view,” stairs that lead to nowhere, and an “unnecessarily big” rooftop area.
Brandishing large boards featuring mocked-up images of what his $400 million ballroom will look like once completed, the president told reporters, “I thought I’d do this now because I’m so busy, I don’t have time to do this—I’m fighting wars and other things, but this is very important because this is going to be with us for a long time, and I think it’ll be the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world.”
Trump sang his ballroom’s praises, noting that “a lot of people” are already giving the ballroom, which has not yet been built, “good reviews,” including those who have never seen it. He went on to discuss the ballroom for three and a half minutes, noting that construction is ahead of schedule and under budget.
He also mentioned the military complex planned beneath the ballroom, which he has previously referenced in interviews, noting that the military is “very much involved” in renovations.
In January, CNN reported on the construction of a defensive bunker underneath the East Wing, which will replace the secure underground facility built by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II.
Trump’s public display came shortly after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt melted down over the subject, writing on X, “The New York Times had three random people who have ‘studied fine arts,’ ‘long written about urban planning,’ and never built anything to write an article criticizing the new White House ballroom.”
“President Trump and his lead architect have built world-class buildings around the world, and they are ensuring the People’s House finally has a beautiful ballroom that’s been needed for decades — at no expense to the taxpayer.”
Construction on the ballroom, which necessitated the complete demolition of the East Wing of the White House, began in October.
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which was initially estimated to cost $200 million, is now estimated to cost at least twice that, a fact Trump revealed in December while discussing a lawsuit seeking to halt further construction.
“We got sued. We’re donating a $400 million ballroom, and we got sued not to build it,” Trump said. “For 150 years, they’ve wanted a ballroom, and we’re giving them—myself and donors are giving them—free of charge. We’re donating a building that’s approximately $400 million.”
Members of the American public appear largely unenthusiastic about Trump’s donation, with more than 32,000 people making submissions to the National Capital Planning Commission expressing their thoughts on the renovation.
A CNN analysis of the comments found that more than 97% of the public feedback was against the construction, with some criticisms likening the ballroom’s gaudy golden aesthetic to a brothel or a Vegas casino.
Former residents of the White House have also publicly criticized Trump’s renovations. Patti Davis, daughter of former President Ronald Reagan, lamented the changes Trump is making to the historic building in an October opinion piece for the New York Times.
“The images we’ve now all seen of the East Wing being demolished are heartbreaking. Over the centuries, many presidents have altered the White House, and certainly older buildings need to be updated and repaired,” Davis, 73, wrote. “But this is complete destruction.”
“We silence so much when we tear down places that are there to teach us, inspire us, humble us. Ghosts and memories drift away in the dust, the wreckage, and we are all poorer as a result.”
