Trump says stopping ballroom construction 'would be devastating' as Minneapolis fallout continues

WASHINGTON, DC: With his administration under scrutiny over the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, President Donald Trump turned to Truth Social to defend his plan to construct a new White House ballroom.

In a lengthy post, Trump warned that halting the project “would be devastating to the White House, our Country and all concerned,” dismissing the lawsuit against it as the work of “obstructionists.”

The president framed the ballroom as a historic contribution, calling it “one of the greatest and most beautiful Ballrooms anywhere in the World.” He stressed that the project was funded by “more than 300 Million Dollars of Great American Patriots’ money,” insisting that there was “ZERO taxpayer funding” involved.

President says ballroom replaces temporary event structures

Trump placed the value of the “GIFT” at between $300 million and $400 million, "depending on the scope and quality of interior finishes."

He said that the facility was “desperately needed” and “sought for over 150 years by previous presidents and administrations.”

According to Trump, the ballroom would end the White House’s reliance on temporary structures. He said that the new space would prevent the administration from being “forced to use a cheap and unsafe ‘tent’” for state events.

The president also stated that it would host dinners, meetings, conferences, and “future INAUGURATIONS,” arguing that the White House lawn was “very wet, and subject to weather.”

Trump lists ordered materials and security upgrades for White House

Addressing the lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which he labeled the “Radical Left National (No!)Trust,” Trump argued, the project had progressed too far to be stopped.

He listed materials already ordered or in process, including “Structural Steel, Windows, Doors, AC/Heating Equipment, Marble, Stone, Precast Concrete.”

Trump also cited security features such as “Bulletproof Windows and Glass” and “Anti-Drone Roofing.” He said there was “no practical or reasonable way to go back,” adding, “IT IS TOO LATE!”

He questioned why critics did not file their lawsuit earlier and claimed that Congress never attempted to block the project.

Trump labels East Wing a 'bastardized' structure

The president criticized the portion of the White House being altered, stating that the “tiny East Wing” had been so “bastardized” over time that it “bore no resemblance or relationship to the original building.”

He accused “so-called ‘preservationists’” of questionable motives, alleging that they got their "money from the most unusual of places."

Trump argued that a president "never needed permission to change or enhance" the White House, citing what he described as the “special grounds on which it sits,” regardless of the scale of the project.

Lawsuit exposes top secret fact

Trump said that the ballroom was being built “with the design, consent, and approval of the highest levels of the United States Military and Secret Service.” He claimed that the lawsuit itself had “already, unfortunately, exposed this heretofore Top Secret fact.”

The president reiterated that stopping construction “would be devastating,” maintaining that the addition is essential for “safety, security, and capacity purposes.”