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By Suzanne Blake
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A Republican push to approve $1 billion in federal funding tied to a planned White House ballroom has sparked sharp backlash from Democrats, who argue that the proposal undermines earlier statements by President Donald Trump that the project would not cost taxpayers any money.
Commenting on the funding push, Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari of Arizona wrote on X on Monday: "Add the ballroom to the laundry list of things Trump said someone else would pay for. Ultimately, of course, it's always the American people footing the bill for his outrageous pet projects. A $1BN price tag while he rips away your healthcare. Sickening."
The funding, included in a Republican reconciliation package, is designated for Secret Service security adjustments and upgrades, not for the ballroom's construction—which the White House maintains will still be financed through private donations. After the April 25 shooting, which has been called an assassination attempt, at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, Trump allies have reframed the ballroom, which many critics in Congress see as a vanity project, as a national security necessity.
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Although the Senate bill bars the funds from being used for nonsecurity elements, such as the ballroom's physical structure or furnishings, Republicans backing the plan argue that while private donors may pay for the building itself, taxpayers should finance the security infrastructure needed to protect the president and future residents and visitors of the White House.
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“Congress has rightly recognized the need for these funds," Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, told Newsweek. "Due in part to the recent assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the proposal would provide the United States Secret Service with the resources they need to fully and completely harden the White House complex, in addition to the many other critical missions for the USSS.
"As President Trump has repeatedly said, the White House must be a safe and secure complex that generations of future presidents and visitors to the People’s house can enjoy.”
Trump's 'East Wing Modernization Project'
Trump first unveiled plans for a 90,000‑square‑foot White House ballroom in July 2025, arguing that the executive mansion lacked a sufficiently large, secure indoor venue for major events, such as state dinners and press gatherings.
The project would replace the former East Wing structure, which was demolished as part of a broader "East Wing Modernization Project."
Trump and his aides have repeatedly said construction would be paid for entirely through private donations.
"It's not going to cost taxpayers a dime," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in October.
The White House initially estimated construction costs at about $200 million, with donors covering the expense. This increased to $300 million in October and to $400 million in December.
Backlash at Billion-Dollar Cost
The new push by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley to provide the Secret Service up to $1 billion for "above‑ground and below‑ground security features" in the committee's reconciliation title has prompted new criticism.
"Gas prices are up to $4.48 for unleaded. If you need premium, you'll be paying on average $5.34," activist and investor Amy Siskind wrote on X. "But don't worry—Republicans proposed putting $1 BILLION into our federal budget for Trump's ballroom."
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "While such a structure is actually fairly customary for other country governments, the high price tag comes at a time when many Americans are struggling with affordability on nearly every level.
"Even if the goal is security, the size of the bill being funded by taxpayers is going to produce hesitation and cause more questioning as to the essential nature of such a transaction."
Because the funding is part of a reconciliation package, it could pass the Senate with a simple majority, bypassing a filibuster.
The recent assassination attempt at the White House correspondents' dinner, which was held at the Washington Hilton, forced the relocation of the president and members of the presidential line of succession. Subsequently, GOP lawmakers have argued that holding large events away from the White House poses unacceptable security risks.
"If this is not a wake-up call, what would be?" Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters in the aftermath of the assassination attempt.
"What started as a vanity project is now being reframed as a security measure," Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. "The pitch has shifted to needing a controlled environment for hosting events and handling foreign relations, which gives it a different level of urgency than how it was originally presented."
Despite those arguments, the proposal has drawn fierce criticism online.
"Republicans want $1B from taxpayers for Trump's ballroom. Trump already collected hundreds of millions of dollars in anonymous donations for it. Those donations were bribes. He was always keeping that money," Melanie D'Arrigo, the executive director of the Campaign for New York Health, wrote on X. "This was always the plan. It was always a scam."
Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch.com, wrote: "Republicans are going to make taxpayers pay for Trump's ballroom. All Trump's claims over 16 months that 'donors' were going to pay for it was always a lie and just another con. You will pay for it."
Some Senate Republicans have also expressed discomfort with associating taxpayer dollars with the ballroom.
"Is it good politics to spend taxpayer dollars on a ballroom right before the election? Absolutely not," one unnamed Republican senator told The Hill.
What Happens Next
The Judiciary Committee's proposal is expected to move forward as part of a broader reconciliation package focused on law enforcement and border security spending. If included, the ballroom‑related security funding could reach the Senate floor within weeks.
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