‘It looks like the Roman Empire’: Thomas Massie ridicules Trump's White House ballroom project

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Thomas Massie mocked President Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom project after Senate Republicans hit a procedural roadblock while attempting to advance funding tied to the high-profile expansion plan.

Massie made the remarks during his concession speech on May 19, calling out the president after losing his re-election bid to a Trump-endorsed candidate.

Thomas Massie mocks Trump White House ballroom plan

Massie’s comments came shortly after Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that proposed Republican funding mechanisms connected to the ballroom project could not proceed under reconciliation rules, creating a major obstacle for GOP lawmakers attempting to move the package with a simple majority vote.

In his concession speech, Massie criticized Trump’s push to build a White House ballroom while Americans struggled to pay their bills.

After claiming Fox News had kept him off the air for months before his appearance on Tuesday, Massie told supporters that his return to the network was the first time he had watched its coverage in months, and he didn’t like what he saw.

“I got to watch Fox also for the first time in eighteen months. And there was the president talking about– by the way, while gas is almost five dollars, and diesel is almost six dollars, they’re talking about a big ballroom they’re going to build, and it looks like the Roman Empire, architecture from the Roman Empire,” he said.

“I see a few analogies there. And people are just trying to make ends meet.”

The White House ballroom proposal has become one of Trump’s most visible renovation initiatives during his second term.

Miriam Adelson funding joke fuels ballroom controversy

The ballroom controversy has drawn heightened political attention in recent weeks as Democrats and some Republican critics questioned whether taxpayer dollars should help fund parts of the project.

Massie went on to joke that GOP mega-donor Miriam Adelson, one of the funders of the ballroom, had spent so much money on the primary race that the size of the $400 million project might need to be reduced.

“But we were promised that Miriam Adelson would pay for that ballroom,” he said.

“She spent so much money in this race, they’re going to have to reduce the footprint of that thing.”

Trump supporters, meanwhile, argue the ballroom serves practical purposes tied to national security, presidential logistics, and the White House’s ability to host major international events.

The broader debate intensified after reports that Republicans attempted to include roughly $1 billion in ballroom-related security funding within a larger immigration and border package before the parliamentarian blocked the proposal.

Recently, Massie lost the Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District to Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL backed by Trump.

As Massie became the latest Republican added to Trump’s growing list of political targets, his concession speech on Tuesday night in Kentucky sounded anything but defeated.

He delivered a forward-looking message to supporters, who appeared more energized than crestfallen.

"They tried to buy my vote. They couldn't buy it."

“What started out as an election turned into a movement,” Massie said. “We stirred up something. There is a yearning in this country for someone who will vote for principles over party.”