$250 Million White House Ballroom While the Government Shuts Down? A Monument to Ego
Ego over efficiency: the People’s House gets a $250M upgrade no one asked for.
Please forgive the extra email today, but this moment demands attention.
So let me get this straight: while the government is shut down because Republicans refuse to get back to work—a crisis Republicans own—The Washington Post reports that the White House is tearing down part of the East Wing to build convicted felon Donald Trump’s personal ballroom. A 90,000-square-foot monument to vanity that will nearly double the size of the existing building, after he insisted it wouldn’t “interfere” with the current structure.
This isn’t just a misstatement. It’s an outright contradiction. Demolition crews are actively ripping apart a historic part of the People’s House, all so the president can host larger dinners and indulge in another luxury project that he claims is fully funded by private donations. Meanwhile, Americans are left footing a portion of the bill—$250 million, up from his original $200 million estimate.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about efficiency, security, or improving functionality. The East Wing has been renovated countless times over the last century and has served its purpose just fine. This is a vanity project. It’s unnecessary. And it’s a textbook example of taxpayer resources being subordinated to personal ambition—even as federal workers face furloughs and vital services have come to a halt because of a shutdown Republicans brought on.
A ballroom does not make the country stronger. It does not make government more effective. But it does send a loud, unmistakable message: the public’s money is fair game for extravagant self-interest, even while the government itself is in crisis.
If the justification is “private donations,” let’s not kid ourselves—donors are not handing over millions out of the kindness of their hearts. There’s influence, access, and political currency baked into every check. The American people deserve better than a $250 million monument to ego.