The original cost for the renovations was estimated to be $200 million
Credit: Kevin Carter/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- The Trump administration’s White House renovation costs have soared to nearly $1 billion, far exceeding initial estimates, according to reports
- On Friday, Aug. 7, the federal appeals court blocked construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom without congressional approval
- The Trump administration has continued to defend the renovations, saying they would help the White House host large state events and reduce the need for temporary structures
President Donald Trump’s White House makeover has a new price tag — nearly $1 billion, per reports.
The Trump administration’s White House construction plans are now expected to cost at least $900 million, far more than previously reported, with taxpayers footing most of the bill, according to records reviewed by The Washington Post.
The Trump administration has defended the ballroom as a long-overdue improvement that would help the White House host large state events and enhance security by reducing the need for temporary structures. Trump has also maintained that the project is largely funded through private donations, although the administration previously sought federal funding for the development.
Rather than seeking a direct appropriation from Congress, the administration has assembled funding from other federal agencies and private donors, funneling the money into a little-known account normally used for routine White House maintenance, according to the Post. The account, which typically contains only a few million dollars, is now being tapped for a much broader slate of projects, per records reviewed by the outlet.
Credit: Tierney L. Cross/The Washington Post/Bloomberg via Getty
Confidential contracts and planning documents indicate that the administration intends to use the funds for what it calls White House “modernization projects,” including Trump’s sweeping overhaul of the property, according to Reuters. At the center of the plans is a new gilded ballroom replacing the former East Wing.
In a 2-1 decision issued on Friday, Aug. 7, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said the administration overstepped its authority by pursuing such renovations to the White House complex without authorization, according to The New York Times.
Credit: Kevin Carter/Getty
“Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its Executive Residence,” Judges Patricia A. Millett and Bradley N. Garcia wrote in their opinion, saying the question of whether “a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help.”
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PEOPLE reached out to the White House for comment.
The administration did not answer the Post’s questions about the source of funding or the total cost of the renovations. However, the administration told the outlet that money is being spent in a “manner consistent” with Congress’ original intent.
“President Trump continues to implement long-overdue and necessary renovations to beautify the People’s House as we celebrate our great Nation’s 250th anniversary of independence,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the Post.
A federal appeals court ruling has upheld an order blocking aboveground construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom unless Congress authorizes the project. The case was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued that the administration could not demolish the East Wing and replace it with a major new structure without congressional approval.
The construction was originally expected to cost $200 million; the price then jumped to $400 million, and the total construction cost was later estimated at $600 million, according to the contractor estimate obtained by The Washington Post.
The $900 million estimate includes other White House renovation projects beyond the ballroom. The Trump administration has also renovated the Rose Garden and White House helipad during the president’s second term. The Secret Service and the National Park Service have also proposed building a new visitor screening center for White House visitors under Sherman Park.
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