WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the new ballroom he’s constructing on the White House campus will be larger than initially planned, accommodating up to 900 people.
In a short phone interview with NBC News, the president stated: “We’re making it a little bigger. It will have top-notch quality, as good as any other in the world.”
A White House statement in July showed that the ballroom would seat up to 650 people, meaning the planned capacity has grown by nearly 40%.
Trump has mentioned that the ballroom will fulfill a critical need at the cramped White House, allowing foreign leaders and dignitaries to avoid having to use tents on the South Lawn for dinners and receptions.
The estimated cost for the White House is $200 million. Trump reiterated during the interview that he will personally contribute to funding the addition. Additionally, private donors, described by the White House as “patriots,” are expected to contribute.
A former real estate developer, Trump has taken a personal interest in the ballroom’s construction.
Work has already begun, as Trump noted to reporters gathered Friday on the South Lawn.
“Right there you see all the trucks,” he said. “They just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House.”
This ballroom marks the most significant alteration to the White House exterior since the East Wing was expanded under Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942. It will replace the East Wing, which has traditionally been the office space for the first lady and her team.
Trump is recovering from a challenging week during which his friend and political ally, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated. On Tuesday, he is set to depart for England, where he and first lady Melania Trump will attend a state banquet hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.
Trump will be the first American president to have been invited for two state visits; his first took place in 2019 at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth, who died three years later.
“I look forward to saying hello to Charles and Camilla,” Trump told NBC News.
“It’s going to be incredible. It’s such a great honor.”
