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The White House · Report · File No. 261112-032

New images show Trump's ballroom at 90,000 square feet, bigger than the White House

Aerial photos show the ballroom rising on the old East Wing site, and Democrats say it overshadows the White House itself. Once they take Congress in January, they can investigate its funding.

By the White House Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

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Donald Trump
Donald Trump. Photo: Daniel Torok, Public domain

New aerial pictures of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom show a building that appears to dwarf the original White House, Newsweek reported Thursday. The images were shared over the past week as construction continues 1.

The ballroom is designed to be 90,000 square feet. The original White House covers about 55,000 square feet, according to Newsweek 1.

What Democrats said

Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, posted the images' contrast on X and said it reveals the president's priorities 1.

Trump’s under-construction ballroom is now bigger than the rest of the White House. Much bigger
James E. Clyburn, U.S. Representative, Democrat-South Carolina1

The ballroom sits on the site of the old East Wing. That wing held the first lady's offices, dated to 1902 and was demolished about three months after the project was unveiled in July 2025 1. The new building is designed to hold nearly 1,000 guests and also includes offices and underground security spaces 1.

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The White House did not address the size comparison directly. Spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek that Trump is making needed renovations ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary of independence, and he accused Democrats of opposing anything that celebrates the country 1.

The cost and the donors

NBC News puts the cost at roughly $400 million, paid with private money. Trump vowed to release the names of the private donors but has made only a partial list public 2.

In October, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, wrote to 14 previously undisclosed donors. He asked whether anyone in the administration proposed a specific donation amount and why some donors chose to stay anonymous 1.

On Wednesday, a Justice Department official ordered Blumenthal to preserve documents from that inquiry. Blumenthal said he would not back down 2.

Richard Blumenthal
will not be intimidated
Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Senator, Democrat-Connecticut2

The legal fight and what comes next

In March, a federal judge ordered above-ground work to stop, finding the project likely needed congressional approval. An appeals court upheld that order in August 1.

The Supreme Court then let construction continue. In its August 31 decision, the majority said the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued, was unlikely to have standing to challenge the project. The underlying lawsuit is still pending, but no order now blocks construction 1.

Trump has argued the project is about national security. He said it includes bomb shelters, hospital facilities and drone-proof ceilings 1.

Democratic control of Congress would not halt construction. When the new Congress convenes in January, though, Democrats can hold hearings, demand documents and issue subpoenas about the project's financing 1.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, introduced the Stop Ballroom Bribery Act in November 2025 to regulate private donations for White House projects. It remains stuck in committee. Even if it passed Congress, Trump could veto it, and overriding him would take two-thirds of each chamber 1.

That matters because the White House belongs to the public. Americans have no full list of who paid for the largest addition to it in generations, or of what those donors may want.

The Record

  1. Sen. Warren's Stop Ballroom Bribery Act was referred to committee and remains stalled 1.
  2. The Supreme Court let ballroom construction continue while the lawsuit proceeds 12.
  3. New aerial images show the 90,000-square-foot ballroom dwarfing the original White House 1.
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Sources

  1. Newsweek, “What New Images Reveal About Trump's Ballroom” (2026-11-12). newsweek.com/what-new-images-reveal-about-trumps-ballroom-12
  2. NBC News, “Sen. Richard Blumenthal ordered to preserve documents from inquiry into Trump ballroom” (2026-11-12). nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/us-attorney-demand

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