Republicans Question Trump’s $600 Million White House Ballroom as Report Puts $307 Million on Taxpayers
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 17
Republicans Question Trump’s $600 Million White House Ballroom as Report Puts $307 Million on Taxpayers
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 17
Summary
$600 million estimates for Trump’s 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom have alarmed Republicans after documents reviewed by the Washington Post showed $307 million would come from taxpayer-funded agencies.
That breakdown clashes with Trump’s earlier claims of fully private funding and with the White House’s latest statement that Trump and donors are covering about $400 million while security-related modernization justifies public spending.
John Curtis said taxpayer involvement demands a different standard, John Thune called it a “different narrative” from what lawmakers had heard, and Rick Scott said he had not been approached about any funding request.
The funding dispute revives resistance from both parties, which had already pushed back earlier this year when roughly $220 million in ballroom security enhancements surfaced in budget reconciliation talks.
The episode broadens scrutiny of Trump-backed building projects as lawmakers warn fast-moving plans can swell far beyond initial price tags, from the ballroom’s original $100 million estimate to other proposed monuments.