President Donald Trump is currently navigating a challenging array of international and domestic issues during his second term while simultaneously seeking to imprint his aesthetic vision on the White House. One of his main ambitions is to construct a ballroom, a goal he has pursued for over a decade.
During a recent meeting with European Council President Ursula von der Leyen at his Turnberry golf course in Scotland, he took a moment to showcase a ballroom he recently built there, stating, “You know, we just built this ballroom, and we’re building a great ballroom at the White House.”
As a former real estate mogul and current commander in chief, Trump believes he has the expertise to enhance the White House’s architectural offerings. “No president knew how to build a ballroom,” he confidently expressed while in conversation with von der Leyen.
He envisions a space so grand that it could seamlessly replace the existing ballroom with another at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Trump’s involvement in the White House’s appearance goes beyond mere decoration; he has already made substantial changes during his presidency. He has transformed the Oval Office with more opulent decor, added new light fixture medallions in the Cabinet Room, paved over grassy areas in the Rose Garden, and erected additional flagpoles on the premises.
When it comes to the long-desired ballroom, Trump has been vocal about this addition for years. In a May interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, he remarked, “We are going to make and build a ballroom, which they’ve wanted for probably 100 years at the White House.”
While the White House has stated that no final decisions have been made, aides are already discussing the ballroom project in terms of “when” rather than “if.” As press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed, “The president has a spectacular vision to build a big, beautiful ballroom on the White House complex, and discussions about how to execute this plan are ongoing.”
The idea of adding a ballroom to the White House is not new for Trump. In fact, the concept has been on his radar since at least 2008, long before his presidential campaign. He previously pitched his ideas to David Axelrod, who was an adviser to President Barack Obama. During an exchange in 2010, Trump offered to construct a ballroom at the White House, proposing to donate approximately $100 million for the project.
In a conversation recounting Trump’s proposal, Axelrod noted that Trump’s motivation came during a crisis, where he expressed his enthusiasm for the idea after they had hosted state dinners in temporary tents.
Trump’s disdain for the tents used for state dinners is evident. He has previously stated, “Having a tent is not that good,” emphasizing the need for a proper indoor setting for large gatherings.
Currently, the East Room serves as the largest dining space in the White House, accommodating about 200 guests for dinner. As such, for larger events, the White House often resorts to setting up tents outdoors, which requires extensive decor and logistics to provide an upscale atmosphere.
Deesha Dyer, who served as social secretary during Obama’s presidency, reflects on the efforts taken to make outdoor dining elegant, noting, “You have to make it so it doesn’t look like you’re just outside sitting on a lawn.” Yet, she also expresses reservations about Trump’s ballroom concept, feeling it may resemble a venue more suited to a hotel rather than the People’s House.
This sentiment is echoed by others who believe that integrating a new structure into the historic White House grounds could disrupt its iconic silhouette and ambiance.
While it’s unclear why Trump shelved this ambition during his first term, his second term seems marked by a renewed commitment to fulfill this vision.
As he quipped recently regarding the feasibility of the ballroom, “I think we’ve outgrown the tent stuff, right, don’t you think? We’ll see if Trump will approve it.”
In summary, President Donald Trump continues to aspire to elevate the stature of the White House through the addition of a substantial ballroom, a dream that intertwines his passion for real estate and his political legacy. As discussions progress, it remains to be seen how this plan will unfold and whether it will come to fruition during his time in office.
image source from：wypr
