Donald Trump has claimed that the military wanted the ballroom at the White House more than anybody. He made the statement on Thursday during a cabinet meeting, according to New York Post.
Trump stated, “This ballroom is gonna be something. It’s so beautiful for this city, so desperately needed by presidents. I mean, now it’s no secret the military wanted it more than anybody. It was supposed to be secret but it became unsecret because of people that are really unpatriotic saying things. But, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. It’s going to be great.”
Trump later discussed why the new 90,000-square-foot ballroom structure, which reportedly cost $400 million, is needed, according to The Hill.
Trump: This ballroom is gonna be something that’s so beautiful for the city, so desperately needed by presidents. It was supposed to be secret but it became unsecret because of people that are really unpatriotic saying things but doesn’t matter doesn’t matter. It’s gonna be… pic.twitter.com/1aONvQVpmr
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 26, 2026
He said, “I get sued over a ballroom that’s the most beautiful ballroom in the country.”
CNN previously reported that Trump is rebuilding a secret underground facility beneath the existing East Wing, which would also feature the ballroom.
The historic structure, originally constructed under Franklin D. Roosevelt as a bomb shelter, was dismantled. Now, the East Wing will feature Trump’s ballroom and top-secret upgrades.
The project’s secrecy is why the construction and renovation began without the usual approvals. Joshua Fisher, White House director of management and administration, spoke about it during a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission.
He mentioned, “There are some things regarding this project that are, frankly, of top-secret nature that we are currently working on. That does not preclude us from changing the above-grade structure, but that work needed to be considered when doing this project, which was not part of the NCPC process.”
The project has also faced a lawsuit from The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit organization. According to them, the project did not follow proper rules or regulations to get formal approval.
Their lawsuit stated, “No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever – not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else,” according to BBC.
Trump has argued that the ballroom is needed to host national events and foreign dignitaries.
He stated the same thing at the cabinet meeting as well, “You won’t have tents sitting on the wet White House lawn — if it rains, you get wiped out — to honor the president of China or the president of France.”
Trump: This ballroom is gonna be something that’s so beautiful for the city. So desperately needed. It’s no secret the military wanted it more than anybody. It was supposed to be secret, but it became un-secret pic.twitter.com/zUKQCq5IpL
— FactPost (@factpostnews) March 26, 2026
This is not the only construction project Trump has focused on. He also announced the construction of a triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
It is intended to mark the 250th anniversary next year, as reported by the BBC. The outlet also mentioned that the project will be privately financed by Trump’s supporters and not taxpayers.
Trump has said the same thing about the ballroom in the cabinet meeting. He claimed, “rich people” will spend money, and the project would need “zero taxpayer dollars,” as reported by People.
