“Two months later, it increasingly seems that such discussion was a wasted effort, as the chance this ballroom will actually be built is rapidly disappearing. Perhaps it could have if Trump had delegated the management of the project to someone competent, but that’s not what he did. Instead, the famously lazy and disorganized president decided to blow off his actual governance duties in favor of micromanaging a construction project he is incapable of handling. Finishing the ballroom in the next three years would be difficult for anyone, but it’s quickly becoming clear it will be nearly impossible for the famed real estate tycoon to pull it off.”
“The whole thing is a too-perfect symbol of Trump’s second administration: They are very good at breaking things, but they don’t know how to create anything of value.”
“On Tuesday, the Washington Post [published an update](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/16/white-house-ballroom-lawsuit-plans/) on the project, and the overall takeaway is that no one seems to know what’s going on. There’s no final design and no specifics about location. There’s not even an agreement on whether it will seat 650 or 1,000 people or more, since those details seem to depend on Trump’s mood.”
“…the 79-year-old president has lost whatever limited capacity he may have once possessed to make good on stated goals — or at least those that involve building or creating, instead of simply blowing things up.”
“…that’s always how Trump has operated: pretending to be successful by making glittering claims at high decibel levels, all the while hoping his marks won’t notice he’s conning them until it’s too late. The strategy has worked with depressing frequency, including securing him two presidential wins. So it’s not a surprise he thinks that telling huge lies with maximum lung capacity will overpower people’s ability to remember what gas prices actually are. But polls suggest his lies aren’t working as well any more, and there’s no reason that they’ll be more persuasive because he’s yelling.”
“But in true Trump style, even existential yearnings are no match for his inherent laziness. While talking up the ballroom project, his actual renovations of the White House have only been destructive, like demolishing the East Wing. Others are so flimsy and gaudy that they will be gone by the end of the first day of the next president. On top of the cheap-looking “gold” decorations that keep piling up in the Oval Office and the tacky [Motel 6-level signs](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/05/trump-oval-office-sign), Trump [installed a “presidential walk of fame”](https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/17/politics/presidential-walk-of-fame-plaques-trump) along the West Wing portico. It’s trash, of course: Pictures of presidents — both good and bad, but all more worthy of the title than Trump.”
“It seems to be dawning on him that even many of his voters [can’t wait to start forgetting](https://www.salon.com/2025/12/17/republicans-are-quiet-quitting-on-trump/) Trump ever existed. Efforts to force a lasting legacy are maddening, but ultimately, they will fail. Trump will be felled by the worthlessness he’s spent a lifetime trying to conceal with cheap parlor tricks, because he’s incapable of making a true, lasting contribution.”
Loud-Ad-2280 on
Another failed real estate play from the guy who bankrupts casinos
SmolishPPman on
You mean he’s not gonna follow through with what he said?
That can’t be!
baegoeswild on
So Trump gutted the East Wing to make a way for a giant $300M ballroom before plans were even filed, and now preservationists are suing because no one actually green lit it yet. It’s like starting a remodel by knocking down your bathroom wall first
cwk415 on
Right, because he’s going to steal every single dollar in sight for himself.
angrypooka on
The giant whole left in the ground will be very on the nose for this administration.
verifiedboomer on
I think it’s appropriate that the most lasting monument to Trump’s presidency will be a giant hole in the ground where part of the White House once stood.
Competitive_Yam7702 on
He never wanted it to be a ballroom. He was trying to turn the white house into his own palace, and the ballroom area would be his private area. Which is why he said nobody can check any plans as a matter of national security.
Fit_Television_282 on
Hope you are right. What a waste of money and time.
FoxDemonVexx on
Good. The country doesn’t need a taxpayer-funded dance hall. We need infrastructure, not chandeliers
No-Group-4504 on
I hate what he’s done to the White House, but I doubt we’re in the clear on this until Democrats are back in charge of congress. If the Democrats retake congress, it will be halted.
They can move things along pretty fast if they decide to.
If this stupid project is prevented, my question is what happens to him for destroying a 200–400-million-dollar piece of the White House without permission.
s216285 on
lol is the White House now like one of those trash houses with a big ass hole in it covered by a plastic tarp?
Responsible_Ladder25 on
How sad that this historic building has been destroyed for a vanity project that may never come to fruition.
IUsedToBeThatGuy42 on
Of course it’s just a grift
KneeDeepInThe-Hoopla on
He is not and never was the type of person to build or create, he is a human wrecking ball. Like the article says, he mostly just slapped his name on buildings designed and constructed by others back in the day. All Trump or his name will ever do is taint and degrade. His ballroom idea was just a power trip, and a way to crudely mark what he sees as his territory.
PerceptionChoice372 on
Make him pay for the repairs, not his ‘friends’
Rainaco on
This is such a perfect metaphor for house presidency. He’s tearing things down without any plans at all
lesmainsdepigeon on
It’s all a metaphor for his presidency. The Whitehouse represents American democracy, hegemony, and wealth.
liquidgrill on
It will be built. But it won’t be functional by the time he leaves office. The look on his face when the next President immediately turns it into office space will be priceless.
Charger525 on
Despite the ginormous waste of money, resources and time I’m ok with this never being built. Hopefully the next administration respects history, and decorum and rebuilds the East Wing while erasing all signs of Trump’s stupid gaudiness.
westgazer on
This dude only knows how to destroy. He has never built anything.
rebelweezeralliance on
He and his supporters can try all they want to make a lasting impression but his attempts at being remembered as some kind of amazing president and hero will fail… his policies reversed… his name and golden emblems removed… and his ballroom if ever built torn down.
Ultimately history will reveal the truth – the harder he and his followers and administration try to force their will the harder the reversal will be. There will be a reckoning coming and Trump can’t outrun his own mortality like everything else either.
martapap on
It is just a construction scam and Trump is known for this.
RanchHere on
Trump is the husband that tells you he’s going to reno the master bathroom and then you’re stuck showering in the basement for 6 years.
joedotphp on
I wasn’t thrilled about the ballroom. But whatever, maybe I’ll get over it. And now they tore down the East Wing for nothing? Awesome.
NoMayoForReal on
All they’ve done is torn it down, sort of the analogy for what he’s doing to the country. Such a waste of fucking money.
raw_bert0 on
I can’t help but see everything he does as a way of self enrichment. He did this when he wasn’t president. Just the same hits, getting played again.
Admirable_Tear_1438 on
It’s another scam.
shadowpawn on
Just a large tarp draped over the failed building works
RoachBeBrutal on
Destroyed for nothing: legacy of donald trump
Zestyclose_400 on
But someone spent 1 minute making that AI ballroom picture – all that planning going to waste?
puppyyawn on
They caused a mess with no plan, asking questions later. That’s their MO.
HollygoLightly1970 on
I think this too. And I think that DRUMPN company will steal the donated funds.
Steal-Your-Face77 on
The guy is a complete shit stain. Wish he’d croak already.
loosepantsbigwallet on
So just like DOGE?
Rushing in, creating chaos and breaking things is easy, any moron can do it.
Building something is hard, it takes intelligence, competence, and professionalism.
IRideMoreThanYou on
The point is to receive bribes.
It will be a never ending project and personal revenue stream.
The media still treating this like it’s not open corruption.
awwrats on
When trump is gone and someone with a spine is in charge, he should be sued for the cost of the historically accurate reconstruction of the east wing of the WH and charged for destroying it in the first place.
42 Comments
“In October, [Donald Trump](https://www.salon.com/topic/donald-trump) traumatized all true patriots by [tearing down](https://www.salon.com/2025/10/22/never-thought-of-as-much-trump-downplays-demolition-of-white-houses-east-wing/) the East Wing of the White House. The move, he claims, will clear the way for a ballroom for holding large events that are typically held in tents on the South Lawn. A debate immediately arose online over whether or not the next Democratic president [should tear down the ballroom](https://www.thebulwark.com/p/no-kings-and-the-laws-of-power) or keep it, albeit with the necessary extensive renovations to remove all the tackiness Trump brings to any project.”
“Two months later, it increasingly seems that such discussion was a wasted effort, as the chance this ballroom will actually be built is rapidly disappearing. Perhaps it could have if Trump had delegated the management of the project to someone competent, but that’s not what he did. Instead, the famously lazy and disorganized president decided to blow off his actual governance duties in favor of micromanaging a construction project he is incapable of handling. Finishing the ballroom in the next three years would be difficult for anyone, but it’s quickly becoming clear it will be nearly impossible for the famed real estate tycoon to pull it off.”
“The whole thing is a too-perfect symbol of Trump’s second administration: They are very good at breaking things, but they don’t know how to create anything of value.”
“On Tuesday, the Washington Post [published an update](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/16/white-house-ballroom-lawsuit-plans/) on the project, and the overall takeaway is that no one seems to know what’s going on. There’s no final design and no specifics about location. There’s not even an agreement on whether it will seat 650 or 1,000 people or more, since those details seem to depend on Trump’s mood.”
“…the 79-year-old president has lost whatever limited capacity he may have once possessed to make good on stated goals — or at least those that involve building or creating, instead of simply blowing things up.”
“…that’s always how Trump has operated: pretending to be successful by making glittering claims at high decibel levels, all the while hoping his marks won’t notice he’s conning them until it’s too late. The strategy has worked with depressing frequency, including securing him two presidential wins. So it’s not a surprise he thinks that telling huge lies with maximum lung capacity will overpower people’s ability to remember what gas prices actually are. But polls suggest his lies aren’t working as well any more, and there’s no reason that they’ll be more persuasive because he’s yelling.”
“But in true Trump style, even existential yearnings are no match for his inherent laziness. While talking up the ballroom project, his actual renovations of the White House have only been destructive, like demolishing the East Wing. Others are so flimsy and gaudy that they will be gone by the end of the first day of the next president. On top of the cheap-looking “gold” decorations that keep piling up in the Oval Office and the tacky [Motel 6-level signs](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/05/trump-oval-office-sign), Trump [installed a “presidential walk of fame”](https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/17/politics/presidential-walk-of-fame-plaques-trump) along the West Wing portico. It’s trash, of course: Pictures of presidents — both good and bad, but all more worthy of the title than Trump.”
“This attempt by Trump to leave his mark is destined for the trash heap, probably before 3 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2029. He’s [restarted weak efforts](https://www.salon.com/2025/12/18/white-house-says-us-would-be-lucky-to-have-trump-stay-in-office-after-current-term/) to pretend he’ll just take an illegal third term, but his apparent poor health and exhaustion leaves most wondering if he’ll be able to make it through the second. He can attempt to force the Kennedy Center to be [renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center](https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-performing-arts-8b7159067174f3a0070b877c149ff0a7), as he announced Thursday, following his tradition of slapping his name on stuff other people built. But that surface level shift will almost certainly be turned back before Trump’s belongings are moved out of his White House bedroom.”
“It seems to be dawning on him that even many of his voters [can’t wait to start forgetting](https://www.salon.com/2025/12/17/republicans-are-quiet-quitting-on-trump/) Trump ever existed. Efforts to force a lasting legacy are maddening, but ultimately, they will fail. Trump will be felled by the worthlessness he’s spent a lifetime trying to conceal with cheap parlor tricks, because he’s incapable of making a true, lasting contribution.”
Another failed real estate play from the guy who bankrupts casinos
You mean he’s not gonna follow through with what he said?
That can’t be!
So Trump gutted the East Wing to make a way for a giant $300M ballroom before plans were even filed, and now preservationists are suing because no one actually green lit it yet. It’s like starting a remodel by knocking down your bathroom wall first
Right, because he’s going to steal every single dollar in sight for himself.
The giant whole left in the ground will be very on the nose for this administration.
I think it’s appropriate that the most lasting monument to Trump’s presidency will be a giant hole in the ground where part of the White House once stood.
He never wanted it to be a ballroom. He was trying to turn the white house into his own palace, and the ballroom area would be his private area. Which is why he said nobody can check any plans as a matter of national security.
Hope you are right. What a waste of money and time.
Good. The country doesn’t need a taxpayer-funded dance hall. We need infrastructure, not chandeliers
I hate what he’s done to the White House, but I doubt we’re in the clear on this until Democrats are back in charge of congress. If the Democrats retake congress, it will be halted.
They can move things along pretty fast if they decide to.
If this stupid project is prevented, my question is what happens to him for destroying a 200–400-million-dollar piece of the White House without permission.
lol is the White House now like one of those trash houses with a big ass hole in it covered by a plastic tarp?
How sad that this historic building has been destroyed for a vanity project that may never come to fruition.
Of course it’s just a grift
He is not and never was the type of person to build or create, he is a human wrecking ball. Like the article says, he mostly just slapped his name on buildings designed and constructed by others back in the day. All Trump or his name will ever do is taint and degrade. His ballroom idea was just a power trip, and a way to crudely mark what he sees as his territory.
Make him pay for the repairs, not his ‘friends’
This is such a perfect metaphor for house presidency. He’s tearing things down without any plans at all
It’s all a metaphor for his presidency. The Whitehouse represents American democracy, hegemony, and wealth.
It will be built. But it won’t be functional by the time he leaves office. The look on his face when the next President immediately turns it into office space will be priceless.
Despite the ginormous waste of money, resources and time I’m ok with this never being built. Hopefully the next administration respects history, and decorum and rebuilds the East Wing while erasing all signs of Trump’s stupid gaudiness.
This dude only knows how to destroy. He has never built anything.
He and his supporters can try all they want to make a lasting impression but his attempts at being remembered as some kind of amazing president and hero will fail… his policies reversed… his name and golden emblems removed… and his ballroom if ever built torn down.
Ultimately history will reveal the truth – the harder he and his followers and administration try to force their will the harder the reversal will be. There will be a reckoning coming and Trump can’t outrun his own mortality like everything else either.
It is just a construction scam and Trump is known for this.
Trump is the husband that tells you he’s going to reno the master bathroom and then you’re stuck showering in the basement for 6 years.
I wasn’t thrilled about the ballroom. But whatever, maybe I’ll get over it. And now they tore down the East Wing for nothing? Awesome.
All they’ve done is torn it down, sort of the analogy for what he’s doing to the country. Such a waste of fucking money.
I can’t help but see everything he does as a way of self enrichment. He did this when he wasn’t president. Just the same hits, getting played again.
It’s another scam.
Just a large tarp draped over the failed building works
Destroyed for nothing: legacy of donald trump
But someone spent 1 minute making that AI ballroom picture – all that planning going to waste?
They caused a mess with no plan, asking questions later. That’s their MO.
I think this too. And I think that DRUMPN company will steal the donated funds.
The guy is a complete shit stain. Wish he’d croak already.
So just like DOGE?
Rushing in, creating chaos and breaking things is easy, any moron can do it.
Building something is hard, it takes intelligence, competence, and professionalism.
The point is to receive bribes.
It will be a never ending project and personal revenue stream.
The media still treating this like it’s not open corruption.
When trump is gone and someone with a spine is in charge, he should be sued for the cost of the historically accurate reconstruction of the east wing of the WH and charged for destroying it in the first place.
https://youtu.be/VbJ4ilDvGyc?si=gLDRKueJ3OFvAtJD
Here is someone who thinks they will install a data center/bunker under it
She makes an interesting argument.
I will volunteer my entire family to clean the mess up in 2029.
We’ll do dump runs or buy the work crews lunch/dinner.
Even if it is built, every shred of his legacy must be erased. I’m petty.
Let’s hope not.
The White House ballroom is clearly an embezzling scheme.