BBC News, White House
White HouseThe White House announced plans to build a new ballroom of $200 million (£151 million) that fulfills the frequent desires of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The new ballroom will be built with the White House’s “modernized” east wing, which currently houses offices for First Lady Melania Trump and other key White House outposts.
News Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the money will be donated directly by Trump and other anonymous donors of So-Far and will begin in September.
Trump has repeatedly promised to build a “beautiful” ballroom in the White House, and offered to pay $100 million in 2016 during Barack Obama’s administration – the then-president refused.
Getty ImagesLevitt said in a reporter’s briefing at the White House on Thursday that the “much-needed and refined” of the White House will be about 90,000 (8,360 square meters) and the seat capacity will be about 650.
Currently, the Eastern Room of the White House holds many formal White House functions, which can accommodate about 200 people.
Leavitt added that the new ballroom will also eliminate the need for “big and ugly tents” to be installed for state dinners and other large events – sometimes including world leaders.
According to Leavitt, construction is expected to be completed “before” the end of Trump’s term in January 2029.
“The President and Trump’s White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserve the special history of the White House while building a beautiful banquet hall that will be enjoyed by the future administration and generations of Americans.”
White HouseThe renderings provided by the White House show that the Ballroom’s architecture is similar to those of other White House buildings, including grand interiors, including chandeliers and ornate columns.
The offices currently located in the East Wing of the White House (including First Lady Melania Trump) will be temporarily repositioned.
President Trump repeatedly expressed his desire for a new banquet hall as part of a renovation of the White House, which has installed two large flagpoles, new gold ornaments in the Oval Office, and bulldozers and pavings for the famous Rose Garden.
“Never a president has been good at a banquet hall,” Trump said at an event at the White House on Thursday. “I’m good at building things.”
Trump added that at a large event at the White House, “they always have to get a tent,” which he called was a disaster. “It’s not a beautiful sight.”
“We are building a great banquet hall in the White House,” Trump told her earlier this week during a meeting with European Council President Ursula Van der Leyen in Scotland.
“No president knows how to build a banquet hall,” Trump said while sitting in another banquet hall at his Turnberry golf resort. “I can take this and put it there and it will be beautiful.”
In 2016, during the campaign during Barack Obama’s administration, Trump famously proposed his contribution to the construction of a new banquet hall for the White House to use for events.
At the time, then-Printing Minister Josh Earnest said the suggestion was “a thing that wasn’t seriously considered at all.”
“I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to have a shiny gold medal sign anywhere in the White House,” Ernst told reporters.
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