During a White House Hanukkah reception, Donald Trump casually stated that the cost of the long-promised White House ballroom had risen again.
Over the past year, Trump had previously mentioned the price as $250 million and then $300 million. On Tuesday, he added another $100 million almost as an afterthought, while claiming the project remains a gift to the nation.
“We’re donating a $400 million ballroom,” Trump told the audience.
He then launched into a familiar speech that mixed self-praise with comments about the press. “Myself and donors are giving them, free of charge, for nothing. We’re donating a building that’s approximately $400 million. I think I’ll do it for less, but it’s $400. I should do it for less. I will do it for less. But just in case, I say $400. Otherwise, if I go $3 over, the press will say, ‘It cost more.’ I build under budget and ahead of schedule … always. I know how to build under budget. I build well.”
The ballroom project has sparked controversy from the moment Trump announced it, partly due to its location. To clear space, Trump approved the demolition related to the East Wing of the White House, which upset preservation advocates and made the construction plan a political issue.
However, Trump presented the ballroom as both a practical improvement and a legacy project. He claimed the venue would host major state events, including future inaugurations, and promised it would be unique in Washington.
Trump: $400 million… It will be the most beautiful ballroom and it will handle inaugurations. It has five inch thick glass windows. Impenetrable. pic.twitter.com/ZqySzEkyaI
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 17, 2025
“It’ll be the most beautiful ballroom,” he said. “And it’ll handle inaugurations. It’s got 5-inch-thick glass windows. It’s tough except against a howitzer. It’s tough. But I will say, if I’m up making a speech one day and I hear, ‘Ding, ding, ding,’ I’m out of there.”
His remarks drew laughter, but they also highlighted his personal investment in the project, which he often compares to his private real estate ventures. He implied that only a builder like him could execute the ballroom correctly.
While Trump stressed that donations are covering the costs of the building, that isn’t the whole story. Major companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and T-Mobile have pledged money for the construction, connecting the project to some of the country’s most influential businesses.
Critics remain concerned about what will happen after the ballroom opens. Although the venue is expected to be finished by the summer of 2028, maintaining a large, high-security building on White House grounds will be expensive. Trump did not mention who would pay for ongoing expenses once the ballroom is done and donor contributions cease.
For now, the story of the ballroom continues to follow a familiar pattern. Each update features a larger number, a new boast, and more questions about how a project marketed as a gift aligns with the realities of managing a historic public building.
A federal judge has granted permission for the construction of the White House ballroom to proceed, rejecting a request by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily halt President Donald Trump’s expansive project.
