Trump and His Architect Fight Over His Request for a Bigger Ballroom After Realizing the Expansion’s Hidden Impact on the White House
Donald Trump has been taking to social media to talk up his massive White House ballroom plans, but a new report claims he’s now clashing with his own architect.
The president has spent months presenting the mega-ballroom as a landmark upgrade, calling it one of the most significant additions in White House history. His enthusiasm grew even louder after he demolished the East Wing in October, where his wife Melania’s office was located.
Trump has enthusiastically emphasized that private donors are covering the bill for the project, framed as a no-cost gift to America and a bold, visionary step toward building something he insists the country has needed for more than 150 years.
But a new report has suddenly changed the mood, raising fresh questions about how smoothly renovations are going behind the scenes.
“The Presidential Ballroom, which I am building at the White House, with all private donations and funding (ZERO cost to the American Taxpayer!), will be, at its completion, the most beautiful and spectacular Ballroom anywhere in the World!” Trump wrote on Nov. 30 on Truth Social, describing the 90,000-square-foot addition as a historic achievement.
“It is something that has been needed and desired at the White House for over 150 years, but something which no other President was equipped to do — But I am, and as long as we are going to do it, we are going to do it RIGHT. It will be a magnificent addition to the White House, the most important since the building of the West Wing!” The post continued.
But the celebration didn’t last long. Soon after, reports surfaced that he’s now locked in a tense dispute with architect James McCrery II, the designer he personally selected, the Washington Post reports. There’s reportedly been “a conflict between architectural norms and Trump’s grandiose aesthetic, according to four people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal conversations.”
The alleged tension centers on McCrery’s resistance to Trump’s plans for a ballroom so large it would overshadow the 55,000-square-foot White House rather than complement it.
Yahoo! Entertainment readers sounded off with a mix of frustration and disbelief after reading about the mess.
One person complained, “As the economy crashes, inflation spirals, jobs decline, debt increases, general public mood tanks, Trump concerns himself with vanity projects, insults, and golf.”
A separate viewer questioned the financing altogether, writing, “The moment Trump leaves the scene all progress on the project will stop and taxpayers will have to finance cleaning up the rubble and rebuilding the East Wing.”
Others doubted the project would ever be completed under Trump’s watch.
One summed up the tone of many of the comments with a sharper take: “This is Trump’s ego at work make his ballroom larger than the white house itself. It will end up looking ridiculous.”
“Hey MAGA, Trump is spending YOUR money to glorify himself,” added another person.
A few dozen social media users wondered “if the architect will get paid,” hinting at Trump’s history as a real estate developer in New York.
One person predicted, “He will fire him and not pay him. This is the art of the deal.”
Another said, “Yea, he should walk away while his self respect is intact. When, and if, this ever gets built, it’s going to be a fiasco and any serious business associated with it will be dragged by the public and thrown under the bus by Trump.”
Many Americans said they felt misled or overwhelmed by how drastically the project has evolved. What began as a renovation was later revealed to require a full demolition of the East Wing, and the original $200 million estimate quietly rose to $300 million.
There are also alleged whispers of tension inside Trump’s own household.
According to several reports, Melania Trump privately expressed discomfort with demolishing the East Wing and made it clear the ballroom “was not her project.” Many wondered why they didn’t build on their property in Mar-a-Lago.
One alleged club member from Palm Beach added that the couple “would prefer to be in Florida anyway,” which only amplified criticism that the White House is being reshaped in the image of their private estate.
