Trump's Tacky $200 Million Ballroom Is Under Investigation
Source: Daily Beast
Updated Oct. 3 2025 12:16AM EDT
Published Oct. 2 2025 5:28PM EDT
Trumps $200 million ballroom monstrosity is under investigation by the House Oversight Committee, according to the committees top Democratic representative. Speaking to MeidasTouchs Ben Meiselas Thursday afternoon, Rep. Robert Garcia, 47, said the committee is looking into whether foreign governments are funding Trumps 90,000 square foot gold-plated vanity project, as well as other potential improprieties related to its construction.
Even if there were donations being made to build some of this, said Garcia, that monstrosity shouldnt be there in the first place. Whos involved? Are foreign governments paying for it? Oversight is already working on getting those answers and investigating whats happening at the White House with this construction, because its outrageous.
Trump aides have maintained that the ballroom is being funded by a mix of Trump himself and donors, which theyre using as an excuse to continue the ballrooms construction during the government shutdown. The list of donors reportedly includes Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Palantir. YouTube donated $22 million of its $24 million settlement with Trump over suspending his account for the Jan. 6 insurrection to the ballroom. To me, its a symbol of all of his corruption, said Meisalas.
Garcia and Meiselas also discussed Trumps oft-repeated bizarre claim that the U.S. has already seen $17 trillion of investment since the start of his second terma figure most think is a flat out lie, as that would raise the American GDP by over 50%. If there is $17 trillion somewhere, the government doesnt know about it, said Garcia. None of our committees have access to it. Treasury has no idea what the hell hes talking about. Hes either lying, or hes somehow stashed away money in some magical way, which would mean even more corruption.
Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-tacky-200-million-ballroom-is-under-investigation/
Link to tweet
@GovPressOffice
·
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Trump has claimed $17 trillion has come in during his first 9 months!
Yet, hes shutdown the government!
Either the money is missing. Or hes misleading the American people!
Acyn
@Acyn
Meiselas: I think this is a serious oversight issue. $17 trillion is apparently missing right now, and were in a government shutdown. Trump keeps saying hes got $17 trillion. Where did it go?
Garcia: If there is $17 trillion somewhere, the government doesnt know about it.
Embedded video
2:14 PM · Oct 2, 2025

LyfeTimeDem
(141 posts)belongs to us....not he and his billionaire buddies.
He thinks he is king, and they think they own this country. (And by extension *us*)
Joinfortmill
(19,041 posts)Bayard
(27,213 posts)"Trump aides have maintained that the ballroom is being funded by a mix of Trump himself and donors." Anyone who thinks trump is putting one penny of his money into his little project is a fool.
He'll just keep building his golden palace while the country's economy goes to hell. Let the little people eat cake!
BobTheSubgenius
(12,111 posts)....I would be surprised if he isn't somehow profiting from this, far from funding it himself.
democratsruletheday
(1,609 posts)and more corruption as per normal. I can't WAIT for the Dem POTUS in 2028 to turn it into a homeless shelter. That's exactly what I'd do.
maxsolomon
(37,467 posts)They're demolishing the East Wing to make room for it. The Fed Gov issues its own permits - there is no Design Review. It will be done off the books.
It will be known as the Trump Ballroom. He'll strut and preen all through its construction and crow at its opening.
He'll plague the nation long after he's gone.
KS Toronado
(21,433 posts)borrowed that from DUer.........Pharlo
https://democraticunderground.com/100220694471
yellow dahlia
(3,257 posts)All the money he is extorting from companies and universities - where is it going? Is it in the Treasury?
He better not spend the tariff money, because he will likely have to give that back.
BobTheSubgenius
(12,111 posts)It looks like the same architect*decorator was used to butcher his penthouse. I'll repeat what I said about that monstrosity:
It looks like a Versailles palace reimagined in Las Vegas threw up in an antebellum New Orleans brothel.
Ziggysmom
(3,918 posts)
tfury653
(5 posts)Trump will declare he owns the ballroom after leaving the White house and charge rent for it's use to all future occupants
MLWR
(579 posts)I agree. We, the People, own that piece of land. Why didn't he have to get some sort of permission to build there?
Botany
(75,435 posts)The same Palantir that helped to rig the 2024 election.
https://thiswillhold.substack.com/p/she-won-they-didnt-just-change-the
Btw doesnt the White House already have a ballroom?
maxsolomon
(37,467 posts)The Feds issue their own construction permits in DC.
Figarosmom
(8,879 posts)It can be converted into a public space for the people. Have annual hiday festivals or museum or something for the public use.
ultralite001
(2,089 posts)Tear Krasnov's "golden ballroom" down...
Replace the lawns... Replant the trees...
Tear up his f***ing "Rose Garden Club"... replant the lawns, the trees..
Bring back the roses...
Tear down all the bling inside that cheapens America's White House...
Restore it to its former glory...
Leave no trace of the traitor or his ilk...
Sun-Moon
(219 posts)LudwigPastorius
(13,510 posts)It couldn't hurt.
ultralite001
(2,089 posts)to smudge the premises...
Let's hope America's Elders are up for the challenge...
surfered
(9,543 posts)If we took in $17 trillion and we still went in the hole by $1.4 trillion, then we spent $18.4 trillion in the last 9 months. On what? Or given to whom?
Botany
(75,435 posts)The entire federal budget for 1 year is 30 trillion.
Wiz Imp
(7,591 posts)It's between 6 & 7 Trillion. The GDP is around $30 Trillion, not the budget.
https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/
The amount by which spending exceeds revenue, $1.97 trillion in 2025, is referred to as deficit spending. In 2024, the federal government spent $1.83 trillion more than it collected, resulting in a deficit. Compared to 2023, the national deficit increased by $138 billion in 2024.
The total debt for the U.S. through September 01, 2025 is $37.86 trillion. At the end of 2024 the government had $35.46 trillion in federal debt. In 2024
That means the National Debt has actually increased by $2.4 Trillion in 2025.
Note: the $4.69 Trillion in revenues continues all revenues from tariffs (which amount to just over $200 billion.)
As proof of Trump's Dementia, he has started to claim the US has taken in $17 Trillion. Previously he framed it as "new investments" in the US. Obviously, The US has not taken in $17 Trillion. We're over $12 Trillion short of that. But even the framing as "new investments" is a lie.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trumps-17-trillion-investments-claim-003159910.html
Economist Peter Schiff is calling out President Donald Trumps claims regarding $17 trillion in new investments flowing into the U.S. economy.
The Claim Is Clearly Nonsense
On Thursday, in a post on X, Schiff pushed back against Trumps claim that an unprecedented $17 trillion will be invested in the U.S. over the next year because we have the hottest economy in the world.
Schiff called out the fallacy of the statement, highlighting the magnitude of the figure and the mathematical and economic implications if that were to be realized. If true, GDP growth would explode by roughly 50%, he said, considering the current U.S. GDP stands at $30.354 trillion.
He added that capital inflows of this scale would lead the U.S. Dollar to skyrocket, while concluding that this claim by Trump is clearly not true.
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/politics/politifact/fact-check-trump-united-nations-speech/3696080/
"In just eight months since I took office, we have secured commitments and money already paid for $17 trillion" in investments.
Trump has cited a long list of promised foreign investments, but there is no guarantee that the full amounts promised will come to fruition, and some of this investment would have occurred regardless of who was president, experts said.
"Historically, large-scale investment announcements often overpromise and underdeliver," University of Louisville professor Roman V. Yampolskiy told PolitiFact in May. "There is a performative element to them, especially in politically charged contexts. They function as political theater as much as economic commitment."
The projected cumulative U.S. gross domestic product over the next five years is $169 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office, so the $17 trillion amount Trump cited, if it materializes, would account for 10% of the entire U.S. economic output.
GDP or Federal budget
. well at least I had the 30 trillion part right.
Botany=
Mblaze
(798 posts)It's hard to pick out the individual patties. They tend to meld together.
gordianot
(15,673 posts)The Whitehouse need a good cleaning maybe it could be funded by reclaiming the gold (if it gold) plastered in the walls.
Buddyzbuddy
(1,613 posts)To collect kompromat.
BaronChocula
(3,460 posts)This turd has the most infantile notion of wealth right out of fairy tales. Everything's plated in gold-colored metal. If it's not ostentatious and gaudy, it's not good enough.
Is he actually planning on holding balls (if so it would be the only balls in this White House)? What's next? Is he going to put in a stable and a carriage house so he could be ridden around the WH grounds like the ride he had with Charlie King and Camilla a few weeks ago?
We're dealing with a complete child.
maxsolomon
(37,467 posts)State Dinners and the like will be held there.
I'm not sure if it will have a commercial Kitchen but I'd assume it will.
BaronChocula
(3,460 posts)and space for receptions.
BumRushDaShow
(161,068 posts)
maxsolomon
(37,467 posts)Biden's State Dinner for Modi was 380.
https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/22/white-house-releases-state-dinner-guest-list-2/
I don't like it at all, but I just don't believe it can be stopped, and I don't believe it will be torn down if we ever have another Dem president.
riversedge
(78,100 posts)BaronChocula
(3,460 posts)Of course ballrooms make sense as rental space for events, but its basically redundant in the WH. Is Prince Cankles looking to rent out space there to make some side cash? I wouldnt put it past him.
nwduke
(455 posts)then I have a bridge to sell you!🤪🤪🤪
Traildogbob
(11,932 posts)Democratic bodies and rape victims in the criminally contracted mob cement being poured now, nah, these are Jesus people, that is just Fake News thoughts.
riversedge
(78,100 posts)not know if this this trump quote applied to the 17T missing or some other money missing --like the amount the trumps tariff's have actually brought in. >>>
3catwoman3
(27,835 posts)...spend one cent of his own money on this obscenity?
If it does get built, I can see him charging usurious prices to rightwing fundie fathers to hold purity balls for their preteen daughters. Half the fathers will probably be pedophiles, especially if they are preachers.