Critics pan proposed 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom as Trump plans expansion

New renderings obtained by CBS News show plans for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House, a project announced earlier this year that would dwarf the main residence. The White House main residence is about 55,000 square feet, not counting the East Wing and West Wing.

Officials said the ballroom would be funded by private donors rather than taxpayer dollars. Critics on social media described the design as vulgar and grotesque, arguing the scale signals excess at a time when the administration has pursued cuts to federal programs in medical research, education, food safety, and health care. Supporters of the project have argued the funding approach keeps taxpayers out of the decision, though critics say the size and visibility of the space send a different message about priorities.

The renderings arrive as the president has put a distinctive personal stamp on several parts of the White House complex. In recent years, he has paved over portions of the Rose Garden to create a patio, redone interior spaces including the Oval Office, and added two oversized flagpoles to the lawn. Critics argue these changes reflect a style that prioritizes spectacle and personal branding over tradition and preservation, a debate that has intensified as federal spending pressures persist.

Reaction on social media has been swift and often sharply critical. Some posts describe the project as vulgar, grotesque, or a monument to excess, with comparisons to ostentatious architecture in other eras and regimes. Others question the timing, arguing that a project of this scale could divert attention from urgent public needs. A few commenters framed the proposal as emblematic of a broader pattern of presidential self-promotion through architectural projects, while supporters contend the plan represents a modernizing investment funded privately rather than through public funds.

CBS News did not report an immediate White House comment on the renderings, and no official timeline for a decision or construction has been publicly released. As with other high-profile proposals in the administration, sponsors emphasizing donor funding note the importance of private support to avoid direct taxpayer costs, while critics warn that the scale and visibility of the project could have symbolic implications for the executive branch and the country’s civic spaces.

The debate over the ballroom touches a larger, ongoing conversation in U.S. politics about how presidential space is presented to the public, how funds are raised for such undertakings, and how those decisions align with citizens’ expectations for the executive branch. In this moment, the proposed 90,000-square-foot facility has become a focal point for discussions about priorities, transparency, and the legacy of a presidency that seeks to balance historical preservation with contemporary signaling.