Donald Trump used his first public appearance after Democrats took control of the House and Senate to showcase construction of a planned $600 million ballroom at the White House, rather than focus on the Republicans’ midterm defeat.
The President invited reporters to the construction site on Wednesday morning, where workers were lifting what he described as the final steel beam into place. He signed the beam as White House staff and construction workers applauded.
Trump spoke at length about the design and security features of the project, describing it as a future landmark for Washington. “It’s going to be not only one of the biggest, but it’ll be the most beautiful ballroom, I think, anywhere in the world,” he said.
He said the ballroom would accommodate up to 2,500 guests and include marble floors, chandeliers and Corinthian-style columns. Trump also said there would be five floors of infrastructure beneath the White House, with the kitchen located underneath the ballroom.
“Envision chandeliers all over the ceiling, envision marble floors, this is going to be the most beautiful room,” he told reporters, calling the building “a piece of art”.
Trump said the structure would be “droneproof” and “bulletproof”, adding: “This is the safest place in Washington. You can just sit here and just let people do whatever they want.”
He also claimed that more than 100 drones would be included for defence purposes. Discussing the steel supporting the roof, he said: “You can land anything on that roof but it will be all drones.”
The President said the project had been a dream for 150 years and spoke about the personal satisfaction he derived from improving the White House and other sites in the capital.
“This is the capital of our country, we have to make it beautiful and we have to make it safe,” he said. “I like it, it’s good. For me it’s relaxing. I like beautiful things.”
Trump praised the marble being used, describing it as “really magnificent”, and said private donors had funded the project. “You got it free of charge, thank you very much,” he said.
His focus on the ballroom came only hours after he acknowledged that the war with Iran and soaring petrol prices had contributed to Republican losses. After the tour, he said it was “largely true” that the conflict had played a part, but defended his decision to launch it.
“If I had to do it again, I’d have to do it again. I had no choice… you can’t have Iran get a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
He said he was aware of Vice President JD Vance’s social media post blaming the Iran war for the midterm losses, adding: “I know how he feels about it. I think it was fine.”
Trump declined to offer a clear view on who might seek the presidency in 2028. “Maybe you’re going to have a lot of people running, maybe nobody’s going to run. Maybe he won’t run. I don’t know who is going to run,” he said.
He also rejected speculation that Pete Hegseth could be replaced as Secretary of War, saying: “No, I think he’s doing a very good job.”
After the event, Trump offered to show the cameras further upgrades to the White House grounds, including the helipad.
