Operations and maintenance costs for Trump's gilded ballroom will be paid for by taxpayers

 

Headline:  Roll Call, 10/27/2025

John T. Bennett reports:

“The cost is going to overrun significantly. The ballroom likely is going to be larger and more ostentatious than we’re being led to believe,” Lengel added. “There are almost certainly going to be approaches to Congress for funding after this is done. But the current administration clearly believes that won’t occur on their watch. That it’ll be up to the next president — Republican or Democrat.” 

What’s more, attorney Bruce Fein, who specializes in constitutional and administrative law, said in a Saturday email that “private money to build a White House ballroom flagrantly violates the Anti-Deficiency Act, which safeguards the congressional power of the purse by prohibiting the president from using non-appropriated funds donated by private parties for a government purpose indistinguishable from plutocracy.” “Without enforcement of the Anti-Deficiency Act, the congressional power of the purse is a scarecrow in the ‘golden age’ of billionaires eager to curry favor with the government in exchange for multi-million-dollar regulatory or tax favors,” Fein added.  

[snip] 

Despite the influx of private cash, history suggests public funds inevitably will come into play once government-operated and -maintained security, communications, logistical and other systems unique to the presidency enter the planning. [emphasis added]

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2025

October 24-31

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October 23

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October 21-22
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