Donald Trump says the expansive White House ballroom he’s building on the grounds of the executive mansion will now cost $400 million — a sharp increase from earlier estimates.
The president, 79, disclosed the updated figure during a Hanukkah reception at the White House on Tuesday, Dec. 17. He also said a federal judge has allowed construction on the disputed project to proceed, repeatedly praising the decision while calling it an act of “courage.”
“We’re donating a $400 million ballroom,” Trump said at the event, according to footage shared by CSPAN. “Myself and donors are giving them, free of charge, for nothing.”
Trump has previously pegged the project at $250 million and later $300 million. The White House initially estimated it would cost $200 million.
Earlier Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejected a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily stop construction while the project undergoes additional review, the Associated Press reported.
The preservation group sued the administration last week, arguing that construction began before plans were submitted to required federal review bodies and without congressional approval — which is typically required for development on federal park land in Washington, D.C.
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Leon said the organization did not show that allowing work to continue would cause “irreparable harm,” though he indicated the legal battle is far from finished, Bloomberg reported. The judge said he plans to hold a hearing in January on the group’s request for a preliminary injunction and warned the administration against making underground construction choices that could effectively lock in the above-ground design.
If below-ground construction prevents the court from ordering changes to what happens above ground, Leon said “the government should be prepared to take it down,” NBC News reported.
The administration told the court it expects to submit finalized plans to the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts within the next two weeks. Leon said it has until the end of the month to do so.
Court filings indicate construction above ground is not expected to begin until April at the earliest, with the overall project targeted for completion by summer 2028.
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Trump has argued the ballroom — a 90,000-square-foot structure planned for the site of the former East Wing, which was demolished in October — is necessary so future presidents can host large indoor events rather than relying on the South Lawn.
Renderings have been circulating for months, but the ballroom’s planned footprint has continued to expand. By comparison, the White House Historical Association says the Executive Residence is about 55,000 square feet, while the West Wing is around 40,000 square feet.
It remains unclear how many guests the space will hold. Trump told NBC News in September it would accommodate up to 900 people, while BBC reporting cites plans for a capacity of 1,350.
Earlier this month, the White House said a new architect would oversee the ballroom project after Trump reportedly clashed with the original architect over the addition’s size and scope.
Washington, D.C.-based Shalom Baranes Associates will now lead the design, replacing architect James McCrery, whose firm was originally contracted for the work.
The project is being funded privately by Trump and outside donors. Companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and T-Mobile have pledged money, though it remains unclear how much each has contributed. Critics have raised questions about who will pay to maintain the ballroom once it opens.
The lawsuit also lands amid broader scrutiny of the project’s review process. Trump dismissed all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts earlier this year and has not appointed replacements, leaving the panel without a quorum. The administration has argued the National Trust lacks standing to sue and that some aspects of the work are exempt from federal requirements.
Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said the group remains focused on ensuring the project complies with the law and receives appropriate public review.
“It’s not about the need for a ballroom,” the Trust’s attorney Tad Heuer said in court, per ABC News. “It’s about the need to follow the law.”
