The 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which the White House called a “much-needed and exquisite addition,” was initially planned to seat 650 people, but that has since been increased to more than 1,000.
The White House initially estimated the cost of the ballroom at $200 million, later raising the estimate to $400 million. But an internal project summary prepared by Clark Construction in March and obtained by The Washington Post put the cost of the broader East Wing project at $600 million, with more than half coming from taxpayers.
The White House has said Trump and other private donors would pay for the ballroom itself, and that taxpayer funds were being used for security infrastructure associated with the project.
In April, a federal judge halted above-ground construction of the ballroom, ruling that congressional approval was required, as part of a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Work related to the “safety and security of the White House” — specifically, the Presidential Emergency Operations Center beneath what was once the East Wing — was permitted to continue.
After a federal appeals court upheld the ruling in August, Trump said in a Truth Social post on August 7 that he would appeal the “unjust decision” to the Supreme Court. On Friday, the administration asked the Supreme Court to allow the project to continue. The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the case.
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