Jesse Watters recounts Trump calling new White House ballroom a 'monument to myself'

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: During his appearance at AmFest 2025, Fox News host Jesse Watters discussed President Trump’s construction of the White House ballroom.

Trump ordered the East Wing to be demolished in October as part of plans to construct a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, a project estimated to cost $300 million and slated for completion before his term ends in 2029.

Trump has said the ballroom will be funded entirely through private donations, “paid for 100% by me and some friends of mine,” and emphasizing that the government will be “paying absolutely nothing.”

Jesse Watters on Trump's ballroom

Watters recounted a meeting with Trump at the White House, saying that while they were “having like Mexican food,” the president asked him, “Jesse you want to see the the rendition of the big beautiful ballroom.”

Watters agreeing to it replied, “Sure. Let me see it,” after which Trump “rolled the whole thing out.”

Commenting on the scale of the project, Watters told the audience, “And guys, I don't know if you know this the ballroom is huge.”

He continued, “Like I said, 'Mr President the ballroom is four times the size of the White House.'”

According to Watters, Trump responded, “Jesse, It's a monument, I'm building a monument to myself because no one else will.”

The remark drew laughter and applause from the crowd, with him laughing along as well.

Watters previously defended the ballroom’s construction and its size, saying it is needed “to accommodate state dinners, and to accommodate your friends.” 

He added, “Think about it. If you can only accommodate about 137 people at a dinner inside, that means we're not invited.”

Watters argued, “But when you expand the ballroom to accommodate 1900 people, people like us on the periphery might get invited to state dinners. It's a natural thing. Everybody's always wanted it.”

White House ballroom project sparks size debate

Trump recently hired a new architect for his ballroom, according to White House spokesperson Davis Ingle, following reports of disagreements with the project’s original designer and architect James McCrery. 

The new architect Shalom Baranes, who has “shaped the architectural identity of our nation’s capital for decades,” has joined the project, according to Ingle.

Ingle further said, “As we begin to transition into the next stage of development on the White House ballroom, the administration is excited to share that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision.”

Baranes’s firm has previously worked on major projects, including the modernization of the Treasury building near the White House and the renovation of the Pentagon following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Trump had differences with McCrery, with reports citing disputes over the president’s desire to increase the size of the ballroom.

According to a report by The Washington Post, “[McCrery] has counseled restraint over concerns the planned 90,000-square-foot addition could dwarf the 55,000-square-foot mansion in violation of a general architectural rule: don’t build an addition that overshadows the main building.”

White House officials previously acknowledged the disagreement but described Trump and McCrery’s discussions about the ballroom as “constructive dialogue.”