Opinion: Trump Wants to Build a New Ballroom When We Already Have a Better One
By: Yahoo News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The national capital already has a bigger, more beautiful ballroom than the $400 million one that President Donald Trump is seeking to build at the White House.
The existing Great Hall at the 144-year-old National Building Museum is 36,636 square feet and its ceiling rises from 75 feet by the entrance to 159 feet under the atrium. Trump's Grand Ballroom is at most 25,000 square feet, with a 40-foot ceiling.
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the National Republican Congressional Committee March Dinner at the National Building Museum in 2018. / Pool / Getty Images
The magnificence of the Great Hall was on display in the Amazon documentary Melania , which features an extended scene of the candlelight dinner the first lady held there last year on the night before her husband's second inauguration.
"We wanted to create something special," she narrates from a sea of splendor. "It's so powerful to see this room come to life tonight. Candlelight, black ties, and my complete creative vision filled with the elegance and sophistication of our donors."
She already knew the hall from the Armed Forces Ball at the first Trump inauguration. She and the newly elected Trump danced that night, just the two of them in a spotlight at the center of a huge Presidential Seal.
At both of the inaugural events and several other gatherings that Trump attended at the National Building Museum, the Secret Service was able to provide security that precluded assassination attempts, such as at a 2025 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania and last weekend's White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner at the Washington Hilton. The Museum of Building's Great Hall is 6,636 square feet bigger as well as more easily secured, and Trump could have simply suggested the interrupted WHCA dinner be held there in the near future. He instead used the shooting as an excuse to clamor for a federal judge to lift a stay on construction of the White House ballroom.
U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump dance during the Salute to Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., in 2017. / SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images
The existing bigger, more beautiful ballroom is also more historically significant. It should have a particular appeal for Trump because it is the same venue where Hillary Clinton formally withdrew from the 2008 presidential race.
But he has expressed disapproval of the National Building Museum ballroom, complaining that its 75-foot Corinthian columns blocked his view.
"This is a hell of a big room," Trump said while addressing a 2017 Republican fundraiser there. "That's far back. Can you see over there? See, I would've gotten rid of these columns."
Never mind that the generally grandiose Trump had himself installed Corinthian columns-albeit much smaller-in his Trump Tower apartment. The much larger ones-the world's biggest inside a structure-at the National Building Museum are all the more startling because the box-like exterior of this building of 15.5 million bricks is so simple. It has been compared to a gigantic barn and it is possible to walk past it barely noticing it amid the dramatic architectural icons in the capital.
The National Building Museum. / APK
The only adornment on the exterior of the National Building Museum is a 1,200-foot wrap-around stone frieze depicting soldiers and soldiers returning home after the Civil War. The figures are consistent with the original construction of The Pension Building, where disability and retirement benefits were allocated and disbursed to veterans.
The builder was Union Army Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, a West Point graduate who served as the U.S. Quartermaster General. The section of the frieze over the building's west entrance depicts a quartermaster wagon, but where a Trump-like progenitor would have had a likeness of himself at the reins, Miegs made sure to have a freed slave.
The section of the frieze over the building's west entrance. / Library of Congress / Wikipedia
The structure became the nonprofit National Building Museum after the pension operation grew into the multi-branch Department of Veterans Affairs. But the effect is the same when present-day visitors pass under that figure set into the otherwise plain brick. They suddenly find themselves in a monumental space, an experience much like democracy itself, built of everyday people around noble principles that eschew facade.
The plain yet thrilling Pension Building was built on budget with locally obtained materials-no Italian Marble-though its roof was not quite complete when it opened in 1895 for President Grover Cleveland's inaugural ball. A temporary canvas cover sewn by sailmakers at the Navy Yard hung over the 9,000 celebrants as John Philip Sousa's band played.
daly / Library of Congress
Nine more inaugural balls were held there over the ensuing years. The Topeka Capital-Journal described President William Taft's in 1909:
"In the vast hall of the Pension Building resembling a dream of fairyland mingled fair women, beautifully gowned and from every climes; men whose names are now in every corner of the world; diplomats in court raiment statesmen in somber attire and officers of the army and navy in their gorgeous uniformes, and ordinary American citizens whose presence testified to the democracy of the affair."
A long history of such moments in a venue that has democracy in its very bricks and originally served veterans seems to be exactly the ballroom our nation's capital needs. And it can certainly be made more secure than many events Trump attends. That includes the UFC championship at the Kaseya Center in Miami on April 10, where he strode weaving among a crowd of 19,000 two days after the White House announced he would be there.
President Donald Trump talks to members of the media while holding up renderings of the planned White House ballroom, aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on March 29, 2026. / Elizabeth Frantz / REUTERS
The Building Museum is the perfect ballroom for the nation's capital. It is adjacent to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, whose walls bear the names of more than 20,000 federal, state and local law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, beginning in 1791.
Anybody who is tempted to name the former Pension Building after himself should gaze up at the frieze over the west entrance, where the soldier at the reins of a supply wagon is not a quartermaster turned builder, but a freed slave.
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This looks a thousand times better than anything Trump could come up with. Of course they probably wouldnt let him put that gold shit up all over the place or let him put a 25 ft statue of himself in the lobby.
Why? The National Museum Ballroom is under renovation and is cutting back on help because it is having solvency issues. The specifically designed ballroom that will be right on White House grounds will be paid via donations.
That is not true, or else why is the gop trying to get four hundred million dollars of government funds to build it?
Republicans now plan for taxpayers to cover Trump’s $400 million ‘privately funded’ ballroom | The Independent
Really? Doesn't look like that's so sure now. Apparently, there isn't $400M in donations yet or Republicans wouldn't be trying to figure out a way to pay for Trumps vanity project.
The fact that all the monumentally stupid Trump supporters continue to buy his lies is truly astounding. I've never seen a better example of 'gullible morons' than the MAGA movement.
"It's okay Charlei Brown, the West Wing we tore down with no approval will be rebuilt with no taxpayer money!"
"Really? Well okay then..."
"Psyche!"
"Aaugh!"
"Hahahahaha! You're so gullible! Why would you keep falling for this Charlie Brown? You're so stupid!".
Careful with our words. There are a lot of Cole Allens out there.
It is not DP blatantly lying about something easily verifiable!
I wonder why?
WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump cannot construct his planned $400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing without approval from Congress"
It was stopped because of the courts, not lack of donations.
So go verify it and you will see the full story. You could always follow the link I provided.
This is a lie.
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Yet I provided a link which you obviously ignored...
Republicans now plan for taxpayers to cover Trump’s $400 million ‘privately funded’ ballroom | The Independent
Your comments frequently refer to people as "despicable" and "evil", among other slurs.
Practice what you preach.
I didn't ignore it, I looked into the reason why which you seem to have ignored.
Maybe getting the courts involved has backfired
A ballroom on White House grounds can only be used for White House functions. Private businesses will object if the ballroom competes for their business. And private organizations, like the White House Correspondents Association, can't use the ballroom due to conflict of interest.
Trump's ballroom won't be a public space that can be used for public events. The ballroom will be another unused political boondoggle that costs a lot and provides very little utility. (BTW, it's going to cost at least $4 million a year for the facility to just sit there. And maintaining the necessary security vetted staff for functions will add even more to the operating costs.)
I wonder why?
Without it being transparent all we had was the Trump administrations word that there was even $400 million being offered. Frankly, I would trust the Trump administration about as far as I could throw the moon. Anyone still believing these lying sack of shit charlatans have more than a few screws loose and should seriously get their heads examined.
Well, they have to put something where that gaping hole is on White house grounds! If only Biden hadn't gone and torn down the east wing with no plan and no approval from the people! Oh wait... /s
Yes, I try to be. It's often difficult to use small enough words so that rightwing conservatives can understand them without misconstruing a point or taking something out of context. You can't even post a picture of two numbers without getting under the sad poorly educated bigot's thin skin and having them claim it was a call for violence.
That is old information. Here is the updated story:
That should settle the discussion.
So we get to pay for it and complain about paying for it instead.
Perfect
So building the ballroom can either wait for the lawsuit to be settled and have private doners pay for it or Congress can pay for it with our tax dollars. That is what I have been saying
It won't
Three Stooges who have their lips permanently attached to trmp's buttocks.
Graham...you couldn't fix a flat tire on a bicycle
The American people NEVER WANTED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE! Jesus fucking christ!
This feckless irresponsible out-of-control administration destroyed part of the White House grounds all to stroke a fat lying sack of shits ego and now they're trying to force Americans to pay for fixing it. You really can't reach that level of scum without reaching deeeeeeep into that nether of Trumps ass and fishing around for a while. Fucking useless gullible morons.
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It is rather simple. The catalysts for all the violence have been those who used plain language, like when Robert De Niro, Gavin Newsom and Nancy Pelosi said they wanted to hit Trump in the mouth, or when Snoop Dog said he wanted to shoot him, or when Kathy Griffin wanted to behead him, or Madonna wanted to blow him up, or Shakespeare-in-the-park staged stabbing him to death, or Anthony Bourdain said he wanted to poison him, or when Johny Depp asked when is the last time an actor killed a President?
Then of course is all the hate the left is also noted for. The great divider Obama called decent Americans "clingers." The woman who launched the Russia/collusion hoax and the birther hoax called half the country "deplorables." And of course, there was the cognitively failing proxy who called him a Semi-Fascist and half the country garbage. The DEI vice president called him a fascist a few times and last but not least there are the great trolls who call decent folk bigots.
I'm stating the obvious.
And never be used for an event like the WHCD because it won't hold the same crowd and won't have accommodations to feed that many people
let alone the necessary bathrooms needed by law.
Trump wants, wants, wants but never thinks anything through.
Wrong on Ukraine.
Wrong on Russia.
Wrong on Venezuela.
Wrong on Israel.
Wrong on Iran.
Wrong, wrong wrong.
If it were, there would be no problems, ever, at all. That is why nothing is simple or one sided.
Remarkable comment for it's ignorance.
Must be comfortable taking things that far out of context.
That was the Russians.
You have called multiple people here, scum, low lives, commies and other names and you take umbrage to "deplorables". maybe she touched a nerve?
No, you are literally standing in Blues Hills reservation and not seeing the forest for what it is, bitching about a few trees that offend you.
Here are some recent examples of Right wing violence you seem to have forgotten. Or do you simply not object ?
16 times that pipe bombs were mailed to Democratic politicians and others critical of Donald Trump.
Five days later, housekeeping found broken glass is Sasha's bedroom from a broken window.
Republicans Exploit Kirk’s Death While Ignoring a Decade of Far-Right Carnage
I could go on, the internet is still a fabulous tool if you can avoid AI.
Go Flyers
He means those columns blocks the views of his audience.