'89 people is not appropriate': Trump says White House can't host Xi dinner without new ballroom

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump said recently he wanted to welcome about 2,000 guests for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Washington in September. But right now, he just can't, mainly because the White House doesn’t have a secure space big enough for an event like that. The biggest room available only fits 89 people.

Trump talked about this while pushing once again for the East Wing ballroom project. Construction is paused due to a court order, and there is already an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court to let the work continue before the injunction kicks in.

Trump says Xi visit exposes White House space limitations

Trump used Xi's visit to argue that building a new ballroom isn't just about appearances, it's something American diplomacy actually needs.

He said he'd love to throw a big dinner for the Chinese president, but right now, there's no way to do it with the current facilities.

"We have President Xi coming on September 24th or so, and we'd love to have 2,000 people coming to dinner and celebrating a nice evening, et cetera, et cetera, but we only have a room that's going to hold 89 people and 89 people is not appropriate!"

The president didn't just talk about size, he said the real issue runs deeper.

He explained that the new ballroom would offer a kind of physical security the White House just doesn't have right now. With the world feeling less safe these days, he called it essential.

Trump touts White House ballroom's security features

"So maybe more importantly, it's totally secure with bulletproof windows, bulletproof sides, it's drone proof, it's missile, every at the top of the line, and we need it, and especially with what's happened unfortunately to the world, you could say."

The security argument picks up the same points Secretary of State Marco Rubio made in his statement to the Supreme Court this week.

Rubio insisted the US should host foreign leaders somewhere we fully control, backed by world-class security, not in makeshift tents and portable bathrooms on the South Lawn.

The ballroom project, a massive 90,000-square-foot building going up where the old White House East Wing stood, just hit a wall.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit stopped construction, saying Congress hadn't signed off on it.

On Friday, the administration fired back, rushing an emergency request to the Supreme Court. They want the justices to lift the injunction before it kicks in on August 21. The project's price tag rings in at $600 million, a number the administration insists is covered by private donations from big corporations.

Trump has separately described the project as vital to presidential security, citing plans for a drone port occupying the entire roof, sniper positions and a secure underground bunker.