President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended construction of a new White House ballroom, saying the project would give the executive complex a long-needed event space while adding security features around the White House.
Trump made the remarks during a press gaggle at the White House ballroom construction site as work continued on the East Wing expansion. He said presidents have wanted a ballroom for generations because large White House events have often required temporary tents on the lawn.
“This is a room that’s been wanted for 150 years by presidents,” Trump said. “We have no room to have an event. The only way you can have an event is if you build a tent on the lawn.”
Trump pushed back against criticism from Democrats and preservation activists who have called the project excessive. He said taxpayers are not paying for the ballroom construction itself and described the project as a gift to the country.
“This is not going to be paid for by the taxpayer,” Trump said.
During the exchange, a reporter pressed Trump on his claim that the project was being paid for privately and asked how that differed from related congressional funding efforts. Trump responded by again saying the ballroom itself was not being paid for by taxpayers.
Trump also described the structure as part ballroom and part security facility. He said it would include reinforced materials, drone-related defenses and underground operational space, and that the ballroom would help protect facilities beneath the site.
“The ballroom becomes a shield for everything that you see right here,” Trump said.
Trump said the project would include four-inch-thick glass, reinforced steel walls, hardened roofing and other defensive features developed with security officials. He also described the roof as a potential drone-related security platform.
Congress has separately considered funding for broader White House security upgrades tied to the East Wing modernization, including Secret Service infrastructure and anti-drone systems.
Trump called the project “the safest building ever built,” but that claim has not been independently verified.
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