How Trump's White House ballroom plan has doubled in size and cost over a year
Plans for a new White House ballroom have expanded significantly over the past year to include high-security features like an underground hospital and a drone port. The project's estimated cost has doubled to $400 million, drawing criticism amid rising living costs in the US.
Why it matters
The project illustrates the intersection of presidential infrastructure spending, national security priorities, and public fiscal scrutiny.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Jake Horton & Lucy Gilder BBC Verify in Washington DC Getty Images In the year since US President Donald Trump announced plans to build a new ballroom at the White House, the proposals have grown to include a rooftop "drone port", an underground hospital and "top secret" military facilities - and the estimated price has doubled to $400m (£300m).
The framing emphasizes the rising costs and the contrast with public economic struggles, which is a common critical angle.
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