Trump slaps taxpayers with eye-popping bill for his new White House ballroom

By CHASE HOPE, POLITICAL REPORTER FOR THE DAILY MAIL Published: 20:18, 16 June 2026 | Updated: 20:21, 16 June 2026 President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project could slap taxpayers with an eye-popping bill. Instead of the publicly announced $400 million budget, the East Wing renovations will cost $600 million, and taxpayers will pay for part of the project, according to the Washington Post.  In a statement last July announcing the construction project, the White House said that 'President Trump and other patriot donors have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million dollar structure.' Since then, public cost estimates rose to $400 million.  Trump defended the cost increase in early May, writing on Truth Social, 'The only reason the cost has changed is because, after deep rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal.' But a cost summary prepared for the White House in March by Clark Construction, the contractor overseeing the project, estimated the total cost at $600 million, according to the Post. When asked about the reported disparity in cost projections and the possibility of taxpayer funding, a White House spokesperson said in a statement: 'President Trump and generous American patriots are funding the ballroom to the tune of approximately $400 million.' The construction viewed from the Washington Monument on June 11 President Trump gestures at the construction site on May 19 Taxpayer funding for some aspects of the project was expected as long ago as last July. The White House Military Office and the Secret Service were both expected to provide around $150 million in project funding in a March report from Clark Construction.  Both entities are bankrolled by taxpayers.  Some in the GOP tried to include $1 billion in funding for security measures related to the project in the $70 billion immigration enforcement bill Congress passed earlier this month, but it was stricken from the bill before the Senate passed it. According to a Daily Mail/JL Partners poll from May, though 60 percent of Republicans somewhat or strongly supported the ballroom project, over half (53 percent) of all voters somewhat or strongly opposed. Overall disapproval for the project involving taxpayer funding was 65 percent. A district court judge blocked the project pending congressional approval earlier this year, but an appeals court later allowed construction to proceed until further legal arguments were made. A three-judge panel heard arguments from the administration and a preservationist group opposing the project earlier this month but has not issued a ruling yet. Workers demolishing part of the East Wing in December 2025 Demolition of the East Wing in October 2025 Proponents of the ballroom project have characterized it as necessary for presidential security.  According to the President, the planned renovations include bomb shelters, medical facilities, military structures, and several other protective measures. After a third attempt on President Trump's life at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April, Republican lawmakers made a push to secure public funds and speed up the project. 'The East Wing Modernization Project is inextricably tied to the security of the President, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets,' a White House spokesperson told the Daily Mail. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.