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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSenate Republicans unveil $72 billion spending package, including a $1 billion line item for Grampy's ballroom
Senate Republicans unveiled a $72 billion spending package late Monday night, and onlookers were left stunned after discovering a $1 billion line item related to President Donald Trumps White House ballroom project, which hes long claimed would be entirely funded by private donors.
What happened to the ballroom being paid for by private funds? asked political strategist Reed Galen, co-founder of the conservative organization The Lincoln Project, writing in a social media post on X late Monday night.
Unveiled by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Republicans plan to advance the spending package using reconciliation, a process by which the Senate can move legislation with a simple majority and avoid the 60-vote threshold typically required to overcome the filibuster.
Add the ballroom to the laundry list of things Trump said someone else would pay for, said Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), writing in a social media post on X. Ultimately, of course, its always the American people footing the bill for his outrageous pet projects. A $1BN price tag while he rips away your healthcare. Sickening.
https://www.rawstory.com/white-house-ballroom-2676851455/
chouchou
(3,255 posts)We would have never seen that coming.
Botany
(77,721 posts)
..funded?
As of May 2026, President Donald Trump has stated that the construction of a new, roughly $300 million to $400 million ballroom at the White Housewhich replaced the historic East Wingis funded by private donations. While Trump initially pledged it would be funded with "zero cost to the American Taxpayer," the project has faced legal challenges regarding its financing. PBS
chouchou
(3,255 posts)I wish he would say: "I'm going to live for many years"
Botany
(77,721 posts)From this:


Hand split granite cobbles
timeless quality.
To this:

Johonny
(26,482 posts)Affordability, run against a 1 billion dollar ballroom!
Lovie777
(23,469 posts)Fetterman will be on board.
ColoringFool
(976 posts)choie
(6,981 posts)trump has fetterman in his pocket.
OGBuzz
(488 posts)or does Trump get to keep it all? It sure looks like this was a scam from the start but at least this time Trump is ripping off the very rich. Now it's on to the next "privately funded" vanity project for the self described "most powerful person to ever live".
ColoringFool
(976 posts)Owens
(599 posts)They were bribes!
samsingh
(18,467 posts)prices would come down
covid would be gone in 2 weeks
iran would rollover in 3 days
SamuelAdams
(131 posts)How did it go up 2.5 times in ten days? Trump just keeps all the private donations already made?
chouchou
(3,255 posts)Even worse..it wouldn't surprise us if he cheated the construction people.
Par for the course and all that..
LetMyPeopleVote
(181,393 posts)The controversial vanity project was already unpopular. The GOPs planned use of public funds is poised to make matters worse.
When the latest polling showed 2-to-1 opposition to the WH ballroom project, the survey question emphasized private financing.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-05-05T12:57:58.925Z
Now congressional Republicans want to spend billion in taxpayer money on a 0 million project.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/republicans-want-1-billion-taxpayer-money-trump-ballroom
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, [on Monday night] released his committees part of the long-term Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol funding bill, which includes $1 billion for security features related to the White House ballroom.
The funding could not be used for non-security elements, according to the legislative text.
To be sure, the proposal isnt just about the ballroom. On the contrary, Republicans are pushing a $72 billion reconciliation package that includes, among other things, more than $38 billion for ICE, roughly $26 billion for CBP and an additional $5 billion for DHS.
To the surprise of no one, the bill also ignores the reform measures Democrats began pushing after the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota......
But its the $1 billion for security adjustments and upgrades to Trumps ballroom vanity project thats likely to be among the most controversial parts of the Republicans plan.
In case this isnt obvious, the White House boasted last summer that the price tag for the ballroom would be $200 million, and every penny would come from private donations. By October, the price tag had grown to $250 million. Soon after, it was $300 million. Late last year, it was up to $400 million though, again, the official line was that American taxpayers wouldnt be on the hook for the costs at all, even as the White House went out of its way to hide the identities of donors......
Put another way, congressional Republicans expect the public to pay $1 billion for a $400 million ballroom.
Well learn soon enough whether and to what extent the legislation changes in the coming days and weeks, but for now, GOP officials should probably keep in mind that polls show 2-to-1 opposition to the White House ballroom project, and thats when the survey question emphasized private financing. Watch this space.
dalton99a
(95,039 posts)travelingthrulife
(5,484 posts)'security'.
underpants
(197,001 posts)ONE BILLION DOLLARS
LudwigPastorius
(14,922 posts)...before cost overruns, that is.
Martin68
(27,997 posts)twodogsbarking
(19,205 posts)LudwigPastorius
(14,922 posts)Ray Bruns
(6,628 posts)The same thing that happened to the great healthcare plan and Mexico paying for the wall. It never existed.
dalton99a
(95,039 posts)twodogsbarking
(19,205 posts)Biophilic
(6,635 posts)It appears to be the entire republican party. Do they really think that people are going to stand for this kind of waste and evilness or do they think they will have so much under control they don't need to worry about everyone else in the country.
flamingdem
(40,965 posts)Why else would they participate in this folly?
Biophilic
(6,635 posts)Bluntly both are equally scary.
Botany
(77,721 posts)patches on their central tabulators and operating systems. Do not be surprised even with Trump and
the G.O. P.s numbers in the toilet if they win this fall and our republican run and owned media will sell
the story that the dems just couldnt get the needed turn out. Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Palantir, and Musks
DOGE Boys/Ballotproof are into our voting systems and data big time. Trump and the DoJ trying to get
voter lists right now are all about finding what #s they have to hit to win again.
Joinfortmill
(21,504 posts)ChicagoTeamster
(1,175 posts)Trump is having the government pay for his Hitler fantasies. And replenishing the weapons used for his war crimes against Iran with Israel, and the civil rights violations committed by ICE.
flamingdem
(40,965 posts)and making the rest of us cover the bill.
republianmushroom
(22,565 posts)wink, wink, chuckle, chuckle, ha, ha
Traildogbob
(13,141 posts)Nat Geo this AM about Earth Quake research. The doc showed the extensive damage and death from the Cali Quake that flattened multi layer bridges. Massive massive damage. The projected cost was $8 billion. The perspective of what Billions in construction and repairs look like to someone that has no concept of a billion dollars.
So the billion+ dollar ballroom, that will over run even that is sickening.
And remember, Trump has stolen 6 billion from us in the last year and a half.
Jarod has been gifted, so far nearly 8 billion and growing, from middle eastern, terrorist supporting states.
This admin keeps throwing around billions of OUR FUCKING tax dollars like there is an endless bucket of cash, that they contribute nothing to.
And they tell us we get nothing to help us.
And 1/3 of this country love every damn one of them.
They discuss bilking billions from us like we talk about a few hundred for bills each month.
Every day, another multi $ billion project that benefit and enrich them.
When is it enough, President Kennedy asked republicans that decades ago. And still no answer, except in the amount they keep spending and no end in sight. And nothing for us that pay those costs.
GQP are criminal thieves, with full support of an evilgelical Jesus.
themaguffin
(5,333 posts)RANDYWILDMAN
(3,174 posts)and Trump can just declare victory and move on to the next project.
Damn this might the most phucked up bedazzled ballroom ever
Does any one smell government waste...who is the General contractor for this ballroom could it be TRUMCO.....of course is
joanbarnes
(2,132 posts)Owens
(599 posts)Follow the money!!
twodogsbarking
(19,205 posts)Always money there.