Trump Says Ballroom Is His 'Gift' While Demanding $1 Billion

"From the very start, Donald Trump has framed the White House ballroom as a generous gift from him to the American people. The president's initial announcement said the addition would be built "compliments of a man known as Donald J. Trump." Over the past year, Trump and other White House officials repeatedly said the ballroom won't "cost taxpayers a dime.""

"However, we quickly learned the project would actually be funded by "President Trump and other patriot donors." In practice, that means Trump has collected $400 million from corporations and individuals (including many that have business with the federal government). It's unclear if the billionaire president has personally thrown in anything, aside from the $24.5 million he won from a YouTube settlement."

"And earlier this month, Republicans slipped $1 billion in taxpayer funding for ballroom "security adjustments and upgrades" into a filibusterproof reconciliation bill. Luckily for them, Elizabeth MacDonough, the nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian, solved the problem this weekend when she ruled that ballroom security funding does not qualify for a bill being passed through budget reconciliation."

"Unluckily for Republicans, Trump wants that $1 billion in public funding so bad he's willing to break the Senate rules to get it. In a call to John Thune last night, Trump fumed over the parliamentarian's decision and pressured the Senate majority leader to fire her, according to NOTUS. In a rare act of GOP defiance, Thune said that isn't happening: "No," Thune told NOTUS when asked if he would entertain that idea of firing"

The White House ballroom was initially presented as being provided at no cost to taxpayers, framed as a gift from Donald Trump. Funding later shifted to “patriot donors,” with Trump collecting about $400 million from corporations and individuals, including some with federal business. Republicans then added $1 billion in taxpayer funding for “security adjustments and upgrades” through a reconciliation bill. Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that the ballroom security funding did not qualify for reconciliation passage. Trump reacted by pressuring Senate Majority Leader John Thune to fire her, but Thune said he would not do it and declined to discuss private conversations.

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