A White House aide’s new video offers a sweeping look at President Donald Trump’s ballroom construction site, where the historic East Wing once stood — revealing the staggering scale of the pit left behind.
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White House communications adviser Margo Martin posted the 24-second clip Friday. It shows Trump speaking with a construction worker before the camera pans across the sprawling site, revealing towering cranes and construction equipment.
“President @realDonaldTrump checks on the progress of the White House Ballroom construction,” Martin wrote on X.
The project’s price tag has surpassed $600 million, according to a new report in The Daily Beast — far above the $100 million Trump initially promised in February 2025, when he said he would fund it himself.
The planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom has also faced court challenges since crews demolished the East Wing last October.
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According to The Daily Beast, a federal judge ruled in August that Trump lacked authority to demolish portions of the White House without congressional approval and funding. The Supreme Court subsequently allowed construction to proceed while it considered the case.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Trump’s Washington projects extend beyond the White House ballroom despite the resistance.
“Beyond the ballroom, those projects include the disastrous Reflecting Pool makeover, the relentless gilding of the Oval Office, and Trump’s enormous proposed triumphal arch,” according to the outlet.
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President @realDonaldTrump checks on the progress of the White House Ballroom construction 🇺🇸 https://t.co/LLDOIs2e99
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) October 9, 2026
