On July 31, the White House announced plans to construct a 90,000-square-foot ballroom in the East Wing, capable of seating 650 guests, more than triple the capacity of the current East Room. The $200 million project, funded by President Trump and private donors, will begin construction in September 2025 and is expected to be completed before the end of Trump’s term.
This massive private funding arrangement represents an unprecedented level of anonymous donor involvement in White House infrastructure projects.
Concurrent with the ballroom project, Trump has overseen a dramatic transformation of the iconic White House Rose Garden, replacing the historic grass lawn with concrete paving designed to resemble the patio at his Mar-a-Lago resort. This project is being funded by the Trust for the National Mall.
The Rose Garden renovation removes the lush lawn that has been central to the space since President Kennedy’s 1961 redesign and First Lady Melania Trump’s 2020 restoration. Construction began in June and is expected to be completed by mid-August, with Trump explaining that the hard surface will prevent guests in high heels from sinking into wet grass during press conferences and events.
While private donations for White House projects aren’t entirely new, the scale and anonymity of Trump’s funding arrangements break with historical precedent. During Trump’s first term, First Lady Melania Trump’s Rose Garden renovation was funded through private donations solicited by the Trust for the National Mall.
The current approach differs significantly from past practices. Previous White House renovations typically involved either direct government funding or smaller-scale private contributions with greater transparency. Every monument and memorial on the National Mall was built in part through private donations, but never before has a sitting president orchestrated such extensive private funding for White House construction.
The concern with anonymous private donors is that foreign governments or their agents could funnel money through undisclosed channels. Academic research has shown that during Trump’s previous presidency, foreign officials gave him significantly more valuable gifts compared to other presidents, approximately 25-50% more valuable than gifts received by other government officials. The anonymity of the ballroom donors makes it impossible to verify whether any foreign money is involved.
The ballroom project will begin construction in September 2025 and is expected to be completed “long before” the end of Trump’s term in January 2029. The construction will require temporarily relocating numerous federal employees currently housed in the East Wing, including First Lady Melania Trump’s staff and the White House Visitors Office.
While construction costs are privately funded, the U.S. Secret Service will provide “necessary security enhancements and modifications” at taxpayer expense. These security costs, potentially running into millions of dollars, represent the primary public funding component of the projects.
The anonymous funding structure raises additional security concerns, as foreign governments or their agents could potentially funnel money through undisclosed channels. Intelligence experts have previously warned about security risks associated with foreign gifts and donations to presidential projects.
