White House ballroom cost $600M, largely taxpayer funded

A White House ballroom project championed by President Donald Trump is projected to cost $600 million, with more than half of the funding expected to come from taxpayer-backed sources, according to newly revealed internal estimates. This contradicts repeated public assurances from the president that private donors would cover the entire cost.

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that it obtained a detailed project summary prepared for the White House by the contractor, Clark Construction, which calculated the $600 million total. Of that amount, $293 million is expected from private sources, while $155 million would come from the Secret Service, $149 million from the White House Military Office, and $3 million from the Executive Residence-all funded by taxpayers. The report indicates taxpayer money is not allocated for the ballroom structure itself but for security, military, and East Wing components integral to the broader project.

According to the documents, the White House received this estimate in early March. On March 31, however, President Trump stated in the Oval Office that the project was "taxpayer-free" and would cost approximately $400 million, funded entirely by...