Images of excavators tearing down parts of the White House have made news headlines around the world.
Its current president, Republican President Donald Trump, is building a new ballroom in the East Wing to accommodate about 1,000 people for events such as state banquets.
The renovation is a project close to the President’s heart, and one about which he has repeatedly spoken with pride. But it has also been criticized – particularly how it is being financed.
Trump is excited about his ‘new, bigger, beautiful’ ballroom
Trump insists that – for 150 years – the US government has lacked, and wanted, the space to hold large receptions at the White House. That’s apparently why, as the White House said, “President Donald J. Trump has expressed his commitment to solving this problem on behalf of a future administration and the American people.” press statement Read in July 2025.
With an area of approximately 8,360 square meters (89,986 sq ft), the ballroom now under construction is slightly larger than a football field. According to Trump, it would cost “approximately $300 million” (€258 million). “I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken for the construction of a new, larger, beautiful White House Ballroom on the White House grounds,” Trump wrote on his Truth social network.
Initial plans called for a capacity of 650 guests. At a dinner with wealthy donors last week, Trump announced there would be room for 999 people.
Large state receptions and other highly attended functions are often held in tents set up on the lawn to the south of the Presidential Palace. According to the White House, Trump’s renewal would resolve this “ugly” arrangement.
Federal government shutdown, but building a ballroom?
Trump has emphasized that not a single cent of taxpayer money will be used for renovation. The purpose is likely to justify the start of construction work amid the federal government shutdown, which has idled the U.S. government for nearly three weeks and halted most public spending.
Critics consider the renovation problematic: “Is it appropriate for an administration to pursue expensive, primarily aesthetic projects while ordinary American citizens face financial stress and the government faces a shutdown, with thousands of federal employees not getting paid for their hard work?” asked Davina Hurt, director of the government ethics program at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.
Hurt told DW that she finds the renewal’s richness completely inappropriate — especially during a shutdown, when many people have to tighten their belts. He said, “This is not and may never be the time to build a big grand ballroom.”
Who is paying for the renovation?
Trump says he will pay for the new ballroom himself – with support from wealthy individuals and companies. The list of donors published by the White House on Thursday includes defense contractor Lockheed Martin and internet giants Microsoft, YouTube, Amazon and Google. Critics have warned that this financing model could encourage corruption.
“Companies paying money are clearly doing so to curry favor with the government and boost their brand with federal officials,” said Richard Painter, a corporate law professor and former chief ethics counsel in the George W. Bush administration between 2005 and 2007.
Donation to Trump administration connection?
Concerns are being raised that companies and even private individuals donating to Trump’s pet project now might expect something in return from the president later.
Painter sees such a counter-pro system as a significant threat – and says it also amounts to bribery.
“These are companies that want something from the government and they are, first of all, paying for access to the president and other high-ranking officials, and secondly, they are hoping that it will buy them what they want,” Painter said. “Many like Lockheed Martin want big Defense Department contracts, so our now trillion-dollar defense budget … will grow even more.”
Basketball court and bowling alley: Updates through White House history
Trump’s renovation is not the first time a US president has redesigned the official Washington residence since construction began in 1792.
Modifications ranged from a tennis court that Barack Obama converted for playing basketball to the White House being extensively gutted by Harry Truman, who moved into the mansion in 1945. At the time, the building was in poor condition, having been neglected for years.
The renovation covered virtually the entire interior and included a new dining room, a bowling alley, and a new balcony for state visits. He lived from 1948 to 1952.
Trump’s ballroom is scheduled to be completed before the end of his term in January 2029.
This article was translated from German.