Taxpayers Not Slated to Foot the Bill for Trump’s $200 Million Ballroom
What happened: Anti-Trump social media users are falsely claiming that President Donald Trump announced that his planned $200 million White House ballroom will be funded by taxpayers.
Context: At a July 31, 2025, news conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Trump’s plan to have a ballroom built on the White House complex grounds for hosting events attended by world leaders and other dignitaries.
Leavitt told reporters that the project would cost approximately $200 million and would begin in September 2025.
A closer look: The announcement sparked criticism from left-leaning social media users who described the project as a frivolous expense, with many calling it a misuse of taxpayer money.
Liberal X user @JoJoFromJerz stated in a July 31 post, “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.” The post garnered 571,400 views and 10,000 likes in five days.
Anti-Trump Threads user @melissajay_22 said in a July 31 post, “[We] are trying to figure out how to pay for some upcoming medical bills and [Trump] wants to spend our tax money on a $200 million White House ballroom. 🖕🏽🖕🏽🖕🏽” The post received 2,400 views and 16 reposts in one day.
Actually: Leavitt told reporters at the July 31 press conference that the project would be privately funded, stating, “President Trump and other donors have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million structure.”
A statement issued by the White House the same day said: “President Trump, and other patriot donors, have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million dollar structure. The United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications.” The statement provided no details about donors or the amount of the President’s announced donation.
Under this plan, taxpayers would apparently be funding the costs of any extra security measures, but not the $200 million price tag for the ballroom.
This article was originally published in Reality Check’s newsletter. Subscribe to receive weekly updates straight to your inbox.