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The Conversation
The Conversation
Ellen P. Aprill, Senior Scholar in Residence at the UCLA Law School's Lowell Milken Center For Philanthropy And Nonprofit Law, University of California, Los Angeles

Is it illegal for the president to spend ‘patriotic’ donations on a White House ballroom or anything else?

Construction of a White House ballroom continues on Aug. 18, 2026, three days before a court-ordered deadline to halt construction unless Congress authorizes it. Win McNamee/Getty Images

The fate of President Donald Trump’s estimated US$400 million White House ballroom may hinge on the little-known and somewhat surprising rules as to when the federal government and its agencies can accept privately donated funds.

That’s because Trump’s is using the fact that he’s been accepting private donations to pay for at least some of the project’s cost as a justification for not needing Congress’ explicit authorization.

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