Tag

White House Ballroom

All articles tagged with #white house ballroom

politics1 hour ago•11 min saved

Sokolov’s Sanctions Waiver and $201M Fund Raise Questions on Conflicts of Interest

Russian-American investor Konstantin Sokolov received a rapid Treasury sanctions waiver to acquire a copper mine in Armenia, coinciding with his appointment to lead a $201 million U.S. government fund in the region. Despite his recent surge in political donations to Trump-aligned causes, his background remains opaque, and critics warn of potential conflicts of interest between his private business dealings and public role.

via Talking Points Memo|

#armenia #konstantin-sokolov #politics

politics20 days ago•18 min saved

White House Ballroom Architect Resigns After Trump Dismisses Fire Safety Warnings

James McCrery II, the lead architect for the White House ballroom, resigned in October 2025 after President Donald Trump dismissed concerns that the design violated fire and safety codes. Trump reportedly stated that building codes did not apply to the White House, asserting 'I am the code.' The project, managed outside standard federal oversight, continues despite unresolved safety questions and legal challenges.

via independent.co.uk|

#building-codes #construction-safety #donald-trump

politics20 days ago•19 min saved

Architect Resigns After Trump Dismisses Ballroom Safety Concerns

The first architect of the White House ballroom, James McCrery II, resigned in October 2025 after clashing with President Donald Trump over design features that McCrery believed violated fire and safety codes. Trump reportedly dismissed these concerns, stating that building codes did not apply to the White House and asserting that 'I am the code.' The project, which has faced legal challenges over its authorization and scale, is being managed through the Executive Residence office, which is not subject to the same federal agency oversight as other government construction projects.

via The Washington Post|

#building-codes #construction-safety #donald-trump

politics1 month ago•2 min saved

Trump says only he’ll see monuments to his legacy rise in DC

President Trump told New York Magazine that his Washington, DC construction projects, including a planned triumphal arch and a controversial White House ballroom, are meant to create monuments to him, saying 'nobody will' build them after he’s gone. The $400 million ballroom project was allowed to continue by a Supreme Court ruling amid lawsuits. The Kennedy Center’s plan to name parts after Trump remains tied up in court and would require Congressional action before taking effect.

via USA Today|

#donald-trump #kennedy-center #monuments

politics1 month ago•201 min saved

Trump bets his monuments will outlast his presidency

Trump told New York Magazine that he is building monuments to himself, including a proposed triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, and that “nobody will” build monuments for him after he’s gone. He defends the White House ballroom project and other security features as part of his legacy, while CNN notes the drive is tied to his enduring influence and could shape GOP messaging in the midterms; a source even suggested the East Wing could be his lasting symbol regardless of policy outcomes.

via CNN|

#arlington-national-cemetery #legacy #monuments

politics1 month ago•6 min saved

Court lets White House ballroom construction proceed as Roberts warns of likely unlawfulness

The Supreme Court allowed continued construction of the White House ballroom and related features, saying the National Trust for Historic Preservation lacked standing to block the project and avoiding a ruling on its legality; Chief Justice Roberts, in dissent, called the project likely unlawful and urged adherence to rules governing alterations to the People’s House, while the majority left unresolved questions about presidential power to make such changes.

via Politico|

#donald-trump #john-roberts #politics

politics1 month ago•7 min saved

Philly DA jokes about keeping a piece of the Trump White House ballroom as a paperweight after demolition

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner told a slavery commemoration event at George Washington’s historic home that he would keep a piece of the Trump White House ballroom as a paperweight after it’s blown up, a remark tied to the ongoing demolition and legal battles over the ballroom project and the displays at the President’s House, with White House officials defending renovations and federal courts weighing in on the display controversy.

via Fox News|

#demolition #larry-krasner #philadelphia

politics1 month ago•2 min saved

Administration argues White House ballroom completion is national security imperative

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to allow the $400 million White House ballroom project to finish, arguing that completing it is a national security imperative and that delay would pose unacceptable risks. A lower court has halted the above-ground portion during ongoing litigation with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with the project now about 65% complete and underground work allowed to continue. The National Trust warns the project could become irreversible if not stopped, while the administration contends congressional action isn’t needed and opponents allege the plan could overwhelm the White House.

via USA Today|

#judicial-review #national-security #national-trust-for-historic-preservation

politics2 months ago•2 min saved

Trump taps Will Scharf as White House counsel amid Ballroom saga

Trump named Will Scharf, a former federal prosecutor who helped secure approval for the White House ballroom and led the National Capital Planning Commission, to be White House counsel starting Sept. 1, replacing David Warrington as the administration faces looming midterm investigations and a court-ordered pause on the ballroom project.

via The Guardian|

#national-capital-planning-commission #politics #trump

politics4 months ago•17 min saved

Courtroom Showdown Over White House Ballroom Authority

At the D.C. Circuit, judges hear the National Trust’s challenge to the White House East Wing ballroom, weighing whether Congress expressly authorized the project and whether funding and authority via the National Park Service and the Economy Act allow the Executive Residence to oversee construction; the panel interrogates standing and whether the government can proceed with construction despite potential APA review questions and congressional limits, highlighting tensions between presidential power, congressional control of federal property, and court review in a historic-preservation case.

via Lawfare|

#express-authority #national-trust #politics

politics4 months ago•3 min saved

White House Ballroom Construction Moves Forward Amid Security Concerns

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche filed a court request to resume the White House ballroom’s 9,000-square-foot construction, arguing the weekend shooting near the White House underscores the need for a high-security facility; the project, privately financed, has faced congressional input hurdles and ongoing court reviews as security features are highlighted as essential to presidential operations.

via CBS News|

#ballroom-construction #congressional-financing #court-filing

politics4 months ago•7 min saved

GOP backs away from $1B White House security bid amid ballroom controversy

Senate Republican leaders are expected to abandon a proposed $1 billion security package for the White House complex and Trump’s ballroom amid GOP backlash, hoping to attach the funding to a roughly $70 billion immigration-enforcement bill via reconciliation; Democrats oppose the timing and use of funds, and questions linger about the separate $1.776 billion settlement fund for Trump allies, while House Speaker Mike Johnson says the bill will pass in whatever form it takes as negotiations continue.

via PBS|

#immigration-enforcement #politics #republicans

politics4 months ago•40 min saved

Kimmel Roasts Trump With New Nickname: Blob the Builder for White House Ballroom

Host Jimmy Kimmel mocked Donald Trump’s White House ballroom push with a brutal new nickname—“Blob the Builder”—as Trump touts a security-heavy, six-story underground complex beneath the ballroom; the project’s price tag has ballooned to around $400 million, fueling questions about taxpayer funding and turning it into a focal point of controversy amid broader political scrutiny.

via The Daily Beast|

#donald-trump #jimmy-kimmel #politics

politics4 months ago•3 min saved

Parliamentarian blocks taxpayer funding for Trump’s White House ballroom

The Senate parliamentarian removed security funding that could be used for Donald Trump’s planned $400 million White House ballroom from a large spending package, jeopardizing Republicans’ bid to secure taxpayer money for the project. Democrats opposed the allocation and may pressure revisions, while Republicans could try to resurface the funding in a future version of the bill, with passage expected on a party-line vote.

via The Guardian|

#elizabeth-macdonough #politics #security-funding

politics5 months ago•6 min saved

Capitol calculus: GOP split over White House ballroom funding as ruling looms

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough’s forthcoming decision on whether a $1 billion Secret Service funding provision for the White House ballroom can stay in a budget-reconciliation bill is driving GOP strategy, with members weighing reductions and more detail due to political optics and Byrd-rule constraints. House Republicans, led by Mike Johnson, say they’ll push changes to the Senate’s housing bill despite White House and Senate pushback, while cross‑chamber talks continue on immigration enforcement, homeland provisions, and a crypto bill ahead of a June 1 deadline, as Trump presses for faster movement.

via Politico|

#byrd-rule #capitol #gop