President Trump: White House ballroom construction 'under budget,' 'ahead of schedule'
The Hill · C · trust 69/100
Comments: by Sarah Davis - 08/22/26 4:08 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 08/22/26 4:08 PM ET Comments: Link copied NOW PLAYING President Trump touted progress on the White House ballroom project on Saturday morning, a day after the Supreme Court temporarily permitted construction work to continue.
“Tremendous work has been done on the magnificent BALLROOM/MILITARY COMPLEX being built on the grounds of the White House!” the president wrote on Truth Social , alongside a photo of the construction site.
The ballroom project has faced a series of litigation and public scrutiny over reports that the Trump administration planned to use money appropriated by Congress to other agencies.
Trump had previously told reporters that private donors would cover the $400 million construction project entirely. This number later grew to $600 million, according to records reported on by The Washington Post .
Contractor records from March of 2025 showed officials planned to use only $293 million from private donations, while the rest would be pooled from taxpayer-funded budgets at agencies like the U.S. Secret Service and the White House Military Office.
The president repeated his claims that the project was “under budget” and “ahead of schedule” in his Saturday post.
“The Ballroom will be paid for with ZERO Dollars of Taxpayer Money,” he continued. “Great American Patriots and Companies are footing the entire bill.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for more details.
In his Friday order, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts ruled that the Trump administration could temporarily resume work on the ballroom, delaying a lower court order to halt above-ground construction on this project.
His order gives the high court additional time to consider the administration’s emergency appeal and does not determine the final ruling on this project.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said he was “extraordinarily appreciative” of Roberts following this decision.
“There has been a need for a ballroom and a safe space and a military installation for decades on the White House grounds, and President Trump has delivered on that,” Blanche told Fox News on Friday. “And so, we’re going to continue to let the process move forward through the courts, but we’re appreciative we got this stay yesterday and we’re going to keep on building.”
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