Why was Trump’s White House ballroom funding bl0cked?

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley was also sharply critical, saying Americans should not spend “a single dime” on what he described as Trump’s “Louis XIV-style ballroom.”

Republicans rejected that argument. They insisted the ballroom itself would be funded by private donations and that the federal money was meant only for security improvements. Those upgrades reportedly included a new visitor screening center, additional agent training, and added protection for major White House events.

Ryan Wrasse, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, pushed back on X, writing that “none of this is abnormal” and adding:

“Redraft. Refine. Resubmit.”

The Secret Service had requested the security funding after an incident last month in which a man was charged with attempting to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Trump also cited the shooting when defending the ballroom plan, writing on social media that the incident would not have happened if the “Militarily Top Secret Ballroom” currently being built at the White House had already existed.

“It cannot be built fast enough!” he added.

Will the ballroom still be built?

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