Trump's $200M White House ballroom leaves critics aghast: 'Can’t afford pediatric cancer?'
The new specs of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom reveal that the size will be twice that of the existing complex.
The new 90,000 square foot extension will completely remake the look of the historic building and is being estimated to cost $200 million. The specifics about the estimate haven't been published, but some are concerned that it could balloon similar to the U.S. Central Bank's renovation.
Trump and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) visited the Federal Reserve building last week, criticizing the renovation costs and grossly inflating them to include a brand new building completed five years ago. Taxpayers are not paying for the Fed renovations; rather, the bank is self-funding.
It prompted those online to rise up in fury that Trump is ushering in huge job cuts, eliminating critical government programs, and slashing Medicaid, only to now spend money saved on a gold ballroom.
In this case, Trump claims he'll foot the bill for the project or ask wealthy donors to write checks to fund it. It's unclear whether he will raise the funds first or whether he will break ground on the years-long project and fund it as it goes along.
The White House is a working building with hundreds of employees, while also being a place where the president lives. Suffice it to say, the next several years will be very loud and dusty for the president.
See some of the comments below.
"Trump is spending $200 million of our tax dollars on a 'golden ballroom' in the White House, but we 'can’t afford' pediatric cancer research," commented podcaster Jo Carducci.
"Donald Trump wants your kids to go with fewer dolls while he gets a billion-dollar airplane and a ballroom," she added.
Carducci also noted, "The craziest thing about Trump’s $200 million gilded WH ballroom is that he admitted just the other day that Jeffrey Epstein 'stole' teenage girls from him."
"The White House gets a ballroom while Americans have their healthcare cut. Cannot make this up," lamented former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner (D).
"Cheaper eggs = $200 million ballroom," quipped Denise Wu.
"Trump during the campaign: We will get your costs down-- groceries and rent and housing are too expensive. Today: Actually, I'm building myself a $200 million ballroom," responded political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen.
Writer Joe Flood alleged, "Scraps for the peasants, gold ballrooms for the nobles. What happened to America?"
"Dear @SenatorTimScott , weren’t you concerned about costs overruns at the FED last week? How does a $200m ballroom jive?" asked commentator and former South Carolina state House Rep. Bakari Sellers (D).
Think Tank strategist Victor Ambrosio questioned whether it was "fraud, waste, and abuse."