President Donald Trump's planned £400 million ballroom in the East Wing of the White House is being bankrolled by major corporate donors who have collectively secured more than £40 billion in US federal contracts since the project began, according to a new watchdog report published in Washington this week.
For context, the ballroom plan has been mired in controversy since Trump first announced in July 2025 that he wanted to demolish part of the East Wing and build a sprawling 90,000 square foot entertainment space. At the time, the price tag was pitched at around £200 million and framed as a necessary upgrade to host state events and strengthen national security. Costs have since doubled, bulldozers have already torn into the historic structure, and scrutiny has shifted to who is paying, and why.
