November 29, 2025

"Mr. Trump is aware of the criticism that his ballroom plans are too large."

"He told a group of donors to the project last month that he didn’t want the new ballroom to 'dwarf anything.' But at the same event, in discussing related plans to construct a Triumphal Arch, Mr. Trump showed small, medium and large options. 'I happen to think the large looks by far the best,' he said.... 'We started with a much smaller building, and then I realized, we have the land, let’s do it right,' Mr. Trump said recently to donor... Speaking of the design plans for the new ballroom, Mr. Trump has said that he likes to see different proposals, but that he ultimately has the final say. 'I consider myself an important designer,' Mr. Trump has said."

From "Inside Trump’s Push to Make the White House Ballroom as Big as Possible/President Trump’s ever-growing vision has caused tension with contractors. His architect has taken a step back as the president personally manages the project" (NYT).

67 comments:

Kevin said...

He wants the biggest — ballroom of them all!

rhhardin said...

Outsized is the point. Larger than life. It's actually self-deprecation, as with Rush Limbaugh.

Once written, twice... said...

Donors are getting cold feet. Do they really want to have their names and companies with what could be one of the biggest, goofiest white elephants of all time?

traditionalguy said...

A new low in the propaganda war on Trump.

Ronald J. Ward said...

Once written, twice... said...
Donors are getting cold feet. Do they really want to have their names and companies with what could be one of the biggest, goofiest white elephants of all time?

Corporate donors under Trump are no longer about name recognition. It’s become more of a “nice company you got there, sure would be a shame…….”.

john mosby said...

Big Time!

Hi there!
I'm on my way, I'm making it
I've got to make it show, yeah
It's so much larger than life
I'm gonna watch it growing
The place where I come from
Is a small town
They think so small
They use small words
But not me!
I'm smarter than that
I worked it out
I've been stretching my mouth
To let those big words come right out
I've had enough
I'm getting out
To the city
The big, big city
I'll be a big noise
With all the big boys
(So much stuff I will own)
And I will pray to a big god
As I kneel in the big church
(Big time)
I'm on my way, I'm making it
(Big time)
Oh, yes!
(Big time)
I've got to make it show, yeah
It's so much larger than life
(Big time)
I'm gonna watch it growing
(Big time)
My parties have all the big names
And I greet them with the widest smile
Tell them how my life
Is one big adventure
And always they're amazed
When I showed them 'round the house to my bed
I had it made like a mountain range
With a snow white pillow for my big fat head
And my heaven will be a big heaven
And I will walk through the front door
(Big time)
I'm on my way, I'm making it
(Big time)
(Big time)
I've got to make it show, yeah
(Big time)
(Big time)
It's so much larger than life
(Big time)
I'm gonna watch it growing
(Big time)
(Big time)
My car is gettin' bigger
(Big time)
My house gettin' bigger
(Big time)
My eyes gettin' bigger
(Big time)
And my mouth
(Big time)
My belly's gettin' bigger
(Big time)
And my bank account
(Big time)
Look at my circumstance
(Big time)
And the bulge in my
Big, big, big, big, big, big, big
Big, big, big, big, big, big, big
Big!

CC, JSM

rehajm said...

Washington is accustomed to career politicians. They can’t process a President that has had success in the marketplace. Now add in the fact he’s from Washington’s opposition party. Now add in the fact he’s come along at a time when Washington and Davos and the Obama era NGO schemes had big big plans and this guy is messing with all that. It leads to opposing any and everything he does, even a thing that needed to happen decades ago, a thing that doesn’t cost taxpayers a cent. Washington hates that…

SpaceCityGirl said...

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!

Spiros said...

Maybe Trump can get his arch and a new FBI building in one project? I'm seeking of something like the La Grande Arche, a monument and building located in Paris' main business district.

Iman said...

My concerns tend to lean towards the Democrat Party’s push to join with other forces of evil and do what it can to help destroy Western Civilization and the US of A.

R C Belaire said...

Phase 2 of the master plan is to re-do the White House to match the scale of the new ballroom. It's obvious!

Mark said...

Cue the 'compensating for something' jokes. Oh wait, South Park already based their season about Trump's micro p.

In 10 years, we will all be making that joke about Trump's buildings.

Leland said...

The architect should be taking a step back, as their work was done months ago. This is like breathlessly talking about Musk leaving his government position, when that was when it was planned to end. Or writing about Kamala losing her Secret Service Protection, when that was when it would end.

The Vault Dweller said...

I am not the biggest fan of Trump's interior design taste. To me, it borders on gawdy. But, I do like the way many of the buildings he makes look on the outside. I also agree with his architectural instincts in doing things like banning Brutalism for new Federal buildings. I actually think Trump is uniquely qualified to make the final decision on what the new Ballroom should look like. He has his current and prior tenure as President, plus a lifetime of making deals and influencing people, combined with his decades of building experience. He knows the purpose of a ballroom as used by a leader to have a certain affect on people. And if form follows function, I trust him to know the right form to accomplish that function.

Mary Beth said...

I don't think the article's author, who also wrote "Mad House: How Donald Trump, Maga Mean Girls, a Former Used Car Salesman, a Florida Nepo Baby, and a Man with Rats in His Walls Broke Congress", has ever been part of the process of building a house or any building. It would be nice if it were as linear and straightforward a process as this guy seems to think it is.

Every article like this has a quotation of someone saying the new wing will "dominate" but this time was especially good with the photo of the Eisenhower Building looming over the White House.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Yeah, It ain't Chicago and he ain't Obama!

mezzrow said...

Has anyone noticed that what Trump really needs is a large ballroom the size of a small ballroom?
We've been ahead of the curve the whole time in this forum.
Relax.

Peachy said...

leftists: "Let your rage fuel you" - aka- all you got.

Shouting Thomas said...

Call out this one for total BS fabrication. Contractors don’t want to make more money for building bigger? Give me “Never Happened” for $500, Alex.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

While I truly love the framing of this story, bless the heartless NYT but they have already run this same narrative in a recent article, but will wait for reality to present the actual story.

Eva Marie said...

1. The argument has now shifted to the size of the ballroom. That’s a Trump win.
2. Unstated but obvious: the tents are no longer viable with drone attacks on the table.

The Vault Dweller said...

"Eva Marie said...

2. Unstated but obvious: the tents are no longer viable with drone attacks on the table."

That is a really good point, and was not obvious to me.

Quaestor said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Quaestor said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Quaestor said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
john mosby said...

Spiros: “ Maybe Trump can get his arch and a new FBI building in one project?”

Good point. La Defense consists of glass and steel skyscrapers, but that one building echoes the shape of the Arc de Triomphe. Mixing different eras of architecture is more of a European thing. See eg the Windsor Castle or Hampton Court complexes, or the Vatican (leaving out J2’s demolition of the original St Pete’s). Even the WH complex, if you include Treasury and the two EOBs plus the many smaller buildings like the patent court, does much the same. It would have been cooler if the new East Wing was in some postmodern style, still echoing the neoclassical forms of the Executive Mansion. CC, JSM

Quaestor said...

Mark (aka Hey, Rube) writes, "In 10 years, we will all be making that joke about Trump's buildings."

In ten hours we'll be scratching our collective heads regarding the Althouse Usual Suspects' continued willingness to be played by yet another poorly researched, mostly mythical NYT slow news day column filler/fishwrap.

They say the drowning will clutch at any floating straw.

Aggie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Aggie said...

"...two people familiar with the matter...declined requests for an interview.....people with knowledge of the project, most of whom asked for anonymity...."

It would seem any time the NYT claims to be delivering an 'inside story' about Trump, it turns out that they're still outside, nose pressed up against the window, tongue licking the glass.

Beasts of England said...

The Times must be reading here, as I’ve been upset about the distinct lack of Ballroom outrage. I feel better now…

Big Mike said...

Lost in the B.S. pushed by the Times and believed by its gullible readers is that the building must incorporate a large ballroom but also at least 55,000 sq. ft. of office space that has formerly been housed in the former East Wing.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Not many gullible readers left to feed their swill to anymore.

William said...

I've been giving this some thought. Not just DC but this country needs a latter day Colossus of Rhodes to celebrate our importance and grandeur. Bear in mind that the original Colossus was only about ten stories high. I'm thinking of something much grander. I refer to that statue of Jesus that overlooks Rio. I'd like to see a big, beautiful statue of Trump with his arms outstretched towering above the Washington Monument. The Monument should be painted gold and, done properly, it should look like a seedling sprouting forth under the watchful eye of its protector. When it comes to monuments, bigger is better........Well, maybe a smaller statue at the outside of the new ballroom would be appropriate. You know that statue of TR mounted on horseback leading the two savages towards civilization. I can see Trump on such a steed leading two Dems, perhaps Chuck & Nancy towards enlightenment. Perhaps in their native indigenous dress or perhaps tasteful nudity would be more fitting. I haven't worked out all the details yet.

john mosby said...

Trump thinks he’s the passionate one! And the music was frightening…CC, JSM

William50 said...

I keep thinking about the amount of energy it will take to heat during the winter and cool during the summer a massive ballroom that will rarely be used.

Achilles said...

Some readers are going to read this and think that there is actual friction here.

Anyone who has actually talked to project managers and contractors and watched the interactions knows that this all happens on every single contracted project ever.

People that use the NYT's as a source of information are stupid.

Achilles said...


Eva Marie said...

1. The argument has now shifted to the size of the ballroom. That’s a Trump win.
2. Unstated but obvious: the tents are no longer viable with drone attacks on the table.


Outdoor inaugurations are also probably a thing of the past.

Curious George said...

"William50 said...
I keep thinking about the amount of energy it will take to heat during the winter and cool during the summer a massive ballroom that will rarely be used."

Did you pee yourself?

Spiros said...

William50, maybe the White House can use a geothermal pump to heat the ballroom.

Achilles said...

William50 said...

I keep thinking about the amount of energy it will take to heat during the winter and cool during the summer a massive ballroom that will rarely be used.

Trump is single handedly causing global warming.

hombre said...

Many thanks to NYT for this important drivel.

Joe Bar said...

He's got big balls
She's got big balls
(But we've got the biggest balls of them all)

Inga said...

A distraction away from his impending war with Venezuela. No one gives a shit about the ballroom.

Skeptical Voter said...

If you are familiar with the contracting process--whether you are building a single family home, a large ballroom, or a new factory building, you are going to have some tension and strife between the contractor, his workmen, and the owner. It's the way of the world and ignoramuses in the newsrooms don't understand that. As for size? Well it replaces tents on the lawn and that means that King Charles won't have to use a porta potty on a cold Washington night.

RCOCEAN II said...

Given the anonymous sources, why should we believe the NYT's about this? They've constantly lied about Trump for 10 years.

And what is the reason for making these people (assuming they even exist) anonymous? They're not leaking classified data, or reveling deep secrets that would get them fired. This is all about a fucking ballroom!

n.n said...

NYeT's distraction from imported domestic terrorism and mitigated criminal progress through policing.

RCOCEAN II said...

In any case, Trump is right. He's built a lot of things. And if the only criticism is that it makes the White House look smaller, so what?

Lazarus said...

For years we've seen illustrations of Parkinson's observation that as staff and budgets and buildings grow, organizations become less efficient and more useless, so a prejudice against massive edifices has become pretty much ingrained. True, the ballroom isn't another bloated bureaucracy, but it may become a symbol of a government that has lost touch. Democrats will also use it as a "let them eat cake" symbol.

The article does sound like somebody leaked a rejected SNL script to the Times though.

boatbuilder said...

And what is the reason for making these people (assuming they even exist) anonymous? They're not leaking classified data, or reveling deep secrets that would get them fired. This is all about a fucking ballroom!
Yep. Common gossip.

buwaya said...

The bigger it is, the more likely my kids will get to dance at the White House (after Artemis III or IV I figure). So, good.

narciso said...

Ever since woodward when they made an aggrieved gs 18 into a hero

Rusty said...

Any guy will tell ya. It's better to have more ball room than not.

n.n said...

Dance for me politicians of persuasion.

William50 said...

Curious George said...
Did you pee yourself?
--------------------------------------
Hahahahahahahahahahaahah!

Man you're one funny guy!

Rusty said...

William50 said...
"I keep thinking about the amount of energy it will take to heat during the winter and cool during the summer a massive ballroom that will rarely be used."

I wish I had your free time.

Iman said...

Igna advises of a new fetish in town.

John henry said...

The reason it is so big is that he is going to put a Donald Trump House of Wings franchise there. Revenue will go to paying down the national debt.

Ad here with dancing chickens:

https://bsky.app/profile/jimmy3jay.bsky.social/post/3m6ksmxi3fs2h

John henry said...

LBJ micromanaged the VN war from the Oval Office, picking out bombing targets etc.

At least PDJT has the experience, knowledge and ability to micromanage a building project.

Actually a fairly simple building project compared to most of what Donald Trump has built in his career.

John Henry

Hassayamper said...

The bigger it is, the more likely my kids will get to dance at the White House (after Artemis III or IV I figure). So, good.

Lefties can't shut up about how Ancien Regime elitist it all is, but as usual, the idiots have it exactly backwards. An enormous ballroom allows a lot more ordinary people to take part in these events, not just a small selected group of cronies and fixers and big shots.

The late Queen was well known for hosting large parties at Buckingham Palace, to which thousands of folks from all walks of life were invited as a reward for some minor accomplishment or diligent service to society. As far as I know King Charles is continuing the tradition.

John henry said...

John Mosby

You mean like this?

https://youtu.be/ukI2IkxA8T4?si=uJx42v9dMoSz-MYF

Great mashup of Cagney and others doing the Ballroom Blitz

John Henry

john mosby said...

John Henry: That is great! Or Sweet, I should say....CC, JSM

Beasts of England said...

’No one gives a shit about the ballroom.’

Updated NPC chip inserted.

RigelDog said...

William50 worries about the energy required to heat and cool the new ballroom, which he thinks will be “rarely used.”
1) Don’t assume the ballroom will be rarely used. There is an unlimited number of people who would be thrilled to be invited to the White House for any occasion. If I were he President or VP, and I was going to plan an event to, say, honor the Girl Scouts, I would be interested in using at least part of that lovely space to invite twice as many Girl Scouts and honorees as would fit in the other official rooms.
Secondly, discussions about energy use are useless without knowing how well new technology will be used to provide superior insulation and equipment. Discussion must also consider the energy costs in transporting, setting up, dismantling, and providing climate control for the huge tents now being used.

Mason G said...

"I keep thinking about the amount of energy it will take to heat during the winter and cool during the summer a massive ballroom that will rarely be used."

How many houses do Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders own? Between the two, the answer is "six", with a seventh under construction if google is to be believed.

Do you think about the energy used to heat and cool them?

FullMoon said...

The heck with "anonymous sources". What do "those familiar with his thinking" have to say?

boatbuilder said...

While it's not being used, turn the heat to 55 and the AC to 80. Like every other big building in DC.

When the finished building miraculously turns out to look exactly as designed and pictured, NYT readers will be surprised and hard-pressed to see it as ugly, garish or inappropriate, but will have moved on to the latest outrage.

Marcus Bressler said...

William50 said...
I keep thinking about the amount of energy it will take to heat during the winter and cool during the summer a massive ballroom that will rarely be used.
Of all the objections to the ballroom plans, this has got to be the stupidest. Dems/Libs were spending billions in the NGOs before DOGE got involved. I don't want to hear a goddamned word about any costs involved. Oh, the ballroom's construction and outfitting is paid by Trump and his donors, in total -- what about the cost of en-ER-GEEEE? Wah wah

Post a Comment

Please use the comments forum to respond to the post. Don't fight with each other. Be substantive... or interesting... or funny. Comments should go up immediately... unless you're commenting on a post older than 2 days. Then you have to wait for us to moderate you through. It's also possible to get shunted into spam by the machine. We try to keep an eye on that and release the miscaught good stuff. We do delete some comments, but not for viewpoint... for bad faith.