Leaked Records Put White House Ballroom Price at $600 Million

Leaked White House procurement records show the planned East Wing ballroom could total about $600 million, with taxpayers covering more than half (roughly $300 million) and private sources picking up the rest—well above Trump’s early estimates and his claim it would be taxpayer-free. The Washington Post report highlights escalating costs, questions around demolition and security spending, and lawmakers’ failure to fund the project, underscoring concerns about waste and transparency in vanity government spending.