See the full timeline of Trump's $400 million White House ballroom and military complex
President Trump is overseeing the construction of a $400 million ballroom and military complex at the White House, a project that has faced significant legal and public criticism. The administration defends the project as a necessary security upgrade following recent threats.
Why it matters
The project highlights the intersection of presidential legacy, taxpayer spending, and national security infrastructure.
President Donald Trump is building a new White House ballroom. Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images President Donald Trump is building a new $400 million White House ballroom and military complex. The project has been embroiled in lawsuits and controversy, and its price tag continues to increase. As of August, the Trump administration says construction is "65% finished." You can take President Donald Trump out of real estate, but you can't take real estate out of President Donald Trump. Trump has exhibited a particular passion for redesigning the nation's capital and renovating the White House in his second, non-consecutive term, redecorating historic spaces such as the Oval Office and the Rose Garden . His most ambitious — and controversial — project thus far: demolishing the East Wing to build a $400 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom complex reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago estate .
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