Topline
President Donald Trump was seen surveying the White House grounds from the building’s roof Tuesday, telling reporters he was “taking a little walk” a week after announcing plans to add a $200 million ballroom.
Trump, who appeared to be accompanied by other White House officials and James McCrery, who was tapped to lead the ballroom’s construction, was reportedly seen on the roof of the West Wing shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday while they walked above the press briefing room and the White House’s Rose Garden.
When asked why he was walking on the White House roof, Trump suggested he was “taking a little walk” and mentioned a “ballroom on the other side.”
“Just another way to spend my money for this country,” Trump said, adding, “Anything I do is financed by me.”
The White House State Ballroom will be about 90,000 total square feet, significantly larger than the 55,000-square-foot White House, and renderings suggest the structure will stand in place of the current East Wing, though separate from the main building. The White House said last week the addition is expected to be completed “long before the end of President Trump’s term.” It’s not immediately clear what will happen to the East Wing spaces, which primarily serve as the office space for the first lady and her staff.
Trump has discussed potential renovations to the White House for years. While campaigning in 2016, Trump said he offered to build a $100 million ballroom during the Obama administration, though the offer went nowhere. He claimed earlier this year he offered to build a ballroom for the White House for President Joe Biden, but “never heard back.” Trump has reportedly been critical of White House events often taking place outside on the South Lawn, noting earlier this year, “I think we’ve outgrown the tent stuff, right, don’t you think?”