Trump stops motorcade to personally shop for marble for the new White House ballroom
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: On January 2, 2026, President Trump made an unusual stop with his motorcade that quickly drew national attention. In a surprise detour, Trump broke from his expected route to shop for marble and onyx intended for the construction of a new White House ballroom.
The unexpected stop took place at a strip mall in Lake Worth, Florida, far from traditional government venues. Video of the visit circulated widely, showing Trump arriving with his security detail as aides and Secret Service agents secured the area.
Trump’s surprise stop for marble shopping
Trump, who has been staying at his Mar-a-Lago resort during the holiday period, made an unannounced visit to Arc Stone & Tile, a wholesale stone supplier he has used in the past. A White House official later confirmed that Trump purchased marble and onyx for the White House ballroom at his own personal expense.
Members of the press were not permitted inside the store while Trump was shopping. After completing the visit, the motorcade continued to Trump International Golf Club, where the president later played a round of golf.
The stop was not unprecedented for Trump. Arc Stone & Tile, located roughly six miles from Mar-a-Lago, previously supplied materials for the ballroom at Trump’s Palm Beach estate. According to the company’s website, the firm provided marble from Brescia, Italy, for the Mar-a-Lago ballroom floor in 2004.
That stone, known as Breccia Oniciata or “classic peach,” is described as a composite material made up of multiple minerals bonded together. The website notes that Trump personally selected Breccia Damascata for the Mar-a-Lago ballroom, stating that a standard design would not have met his expectations for the space.
It remains unclear which specific type of marble or onyx Trump selected during the January visit for the White House project.
Trump’s White House ballroom plans
Construction activity is already underway for Trump’s planned 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, a project that has drawn criticism and legal challenges from historic preservation groups. Early excavation work has begun at the site.
To make room for the addition, the White House’s East Wing was demolished in October 2025. Trump has said he wants the ballroom completed before the end of his presidential term in January 2029.
Design plans for the project are scheduled to be presented to the National Capital Planning Commission at its January 8 meeting. Trump has pledged that the ballroom will be funded through a combination of private donations and his own personal funds.
On December 29, Trump said the project was “under budget and ahead of schedule,” while also acknowledging that the estimated cost had risen to $400 million. That figure is significantly higher than the $250 million estimate he initially shared.
Trump attributed the increase to an expansion of the project, saying the scope grew after plans were made to host a future presidential inauguration in the new building. According to him, the ballroom will be able to accommodate up to 999 people and is intended to address the lack of large indoor event space at the White House, where major functions are currently held outdoors or in the smaller East Room.
In December, Trump appointed Washington, DC-based architect Shalom Baranes as the project’s new lead architect after disagreements with the original designer over the size of the addition. James McCrery II, who initially led the design, has continued to work on the project in a consulting role.
