For years, President Donald Trump has wanted to build a ballroom at the White House, even while other presidents were in office. Now, it looks like those plans are moving forward.
“Just inspected the site of the new Ballroom that will be built, compliments of a man known as Donald J. Trump, at the White House,” said the president in a Friday Truth Social post. “For 150 years, Presidents, and many others, have wanted a beautiful Ballroom, but it never got built because nobody previously had any knowledge or experience in doing such things – But I do, like maybe nobody else, and it will go up quickly, and be a wonderful addition, very much in keeping with the magnificent White House itself.”
It might seem strange to some that the White House, first built in the 1790s, doesn’t have a ballroom. According to the White House Historical Association, there have been dances at the executive mansion before.
“First Lady Dolley Madison is considered to have introduced social dancing to the White House – notably the Waltz, which critics at that time called ‘the hugging process set to music,’” it said.
Per the historical association, the East Room – the largest of the White House’s state rooms – was designed by James Hoban and first President George Washington to serve as a public audience room. In addition to being used by former First Lady Abigail Adams to hang up laundry to dry, the room has hosted waltzing. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln’s administration added heavy support logs to shore up the sagging floor. After Lincoln was assassinated, his funeral was held in the East Room.
“It has been used for dances, receptions, concerts, weddings, funerals, church services, press conferences, bill-signing ceremonies, and many other events,” said archival information from President Bill Clinton’s White House. “President Theodore Roosevelt even held wrestling and boxing matches here.”
However, Trump has a different sort of ballroom in mind, something more like the Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla. According to Newsweek, he has proposed constructing a $100 million ballroom inside the White House.
Trump first floated the idea when former President Barack Obama was in office, said the outlet. Although Trump offered to personally fund the construction, his offer was declined.
“The offer was first made in 2010, according to David Axelrod, who served as an adviser to Obama,” Newsweek reported. “In his memoir ‘Believer’, Axelrod wrote that Trump had said: “I see you have these state dinners on the lawn there in these s*** little tents.’”
Trump said he offered to construct the ballroom again during former President Joe Biden’s administration. Since taking office in January, Trump has already changed up the Oval Office décor with a more “Trump” look featuring gold-leaf decorations that have been associated with the real estate mogul’s properties in the past.
Audacy covered the changes and some of the internet’s reactions to the Oval Office changes. Of course, people on social media have also has strong reactions to the president’s ballroom plans.
“Donald Trump needs a ballroom? To dance to f***ing YMCA? You can do that stupid dance pretty much anywhere,” said one X user. Trump is known to play the famous Village People song at events.
“Wait, what? People didn’t know how to build a mirrored ballroom before Trump?” asked another.
Others compared the plans to the elaborate celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army that is expected to be held on Trump’s 79th birthday, June 14, and worried about tax dollars being spent on both.
“These are the ‘fun’ projects I do while thinking about the World Economy, the United States, China, Russia, and lots of other Countries, places, and events. It will all be good, maybe even GREAT, depending on who is the President of the U.S.A.!” said Trump in his Friday post.