'Zero dollars of taxpayer money': Trump makes surprising White House ballroom claim

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is drawing fresh attention to his White House ballroom project, saying taxpayers will contribute “ZERO Dollars” toward its construction.

The administration said the ballroom is part of a larger complex that includes an underground military facility designed to protect Trump and senior officials.

Trump made the claim in a Truth Social post on Saturday, August 22, one day after the Supreme Court temporarily allowed construction to continue.

Trump says private money will fund ballroom

“Tremendous work has been done on the magnificent BALLROOM/MILITARY COMPLEX being built on the grounds of the White House!” Trump wrote, adding that “The Ballroom will be paid for with ZERO Dollars of Taxpayer Money.”

He said “Great American Patriots and Companies are footing the entire bill,” while also claiming the project is “under budget, and ahead of schedule.”

The administration says construction on the ballroom has been underway for 10 months and is now about 65% complete. 

The 90,000-square-foot project is expected to cost more than $400 million.

Trump also said on Friday that the project was something presidents had wanted for 150 years and that the military had sought it for 100 years.

“It is something that Presidents have wanted for 150 years, and that the Military has been seeking for the last 100 years,” Trump wrote. “Their wish will soon be fulfilled!”

Supreme Court pauses lower court order

The funding claim comes as the project faces an ongoing legal challenge. 

Chief Justice John Roberts signed a temporary order Friday allowing construction to continue while the Supreme Court considers an emergency appeal from Trump's administration.

The order pauses a Friday deadline set by an appeals court, which had directed construction to stop while the legal challenge proceeded.

Earlier this month, that court concluded that the ballroom project probably requires congressional approval before construction can continue.

The Trump administration argued before the Supreme Court that construction was critical to national security and the president's safety. 

The Justice Department also argued that leaving the site as an open construction zone makes protecting the White House more difficult.

Chuck Schumer slams Trump's 'gilded corruption' spending

Democrats criticized the Supreme Court's temporary order, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accusing the court of “rubber stamping Trump’s vanity-driven, gilded corruption.”

“As costs skyrocket, the administration is wasting money on an endless and illegal war, corporate giveaways and Trump’s pet projects,” Schumer said.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation had urged the Supreme Court on Tuesday to suspend the project after an earlier lawsuit sought to block construction.

The project has already involved the demolition of the White House East Wing.

Construction also includes an underground five-story military complex with shelters, a hospital, and other features intended to protect the president and senior officials during an emergency.

Administration officials said the ballroom itself will have reinforced, missile-resistant columns and a drone-proof roof. 

They say the structure would help shield both the underground complex and the wider White House.