Trump Told Jesse Watters He’s Building White House Ballroom as a ‘Monument’ to Himself ‘Because No One Else Will,’ Host Claims

Fox News host Jesse Watters claims President Donald Trump told him he’s building the planned White House ballroom as a “monument” to himself — and that he’s doing it “because no one else will.”

Watters shared the anecdote while speaking at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, a multiday conservative conference in Phoenix, on Saturday, Dec. 20. Video of his remarks has since circulated on X.

According to Watters, he was eating with Trump when the president asked whether he wanted to see a rendering of “the big, beautiful ballroom.”

“I said, ‘Sure, let me see it,’ ” Watters told the crowd. “He rolls the whole thing out. And guys, I don’t know if you know this — the ballroom is huge. Like, I said, ‘Mr. President, the ballroom is four times the size of the White House.’ ”

Watters said Trump then replied: “Jesse, it’s a monument. I’m building a monument to myself — because no one else will,” prompting laughter from the audience.

Trump has recently said the 90,000-square-foot ballroom, planned for the site of the former East Wing, will cost $400 million — a notable increase from earlier estimates.

He announced the updated price tag on Dec. 17 during a Hanukkah reception at the White House, where he also said a federal judge had allowed the project to move forward. He repeated the figure several times while thanking the official who cleared the way for continued construction, describing the ruling as an act of “courage.”

The ballroom — funded entirely by private donors, including a contribution from Trump — is expected to be completed by summer 2028.

Trump has argued the expanded indoor space is necessary so future presidents can host large events indoors rather than on the South Lawn.

It’s still unclear how many people the ballroom will hold. Trump told NBC News in September that it would accommodate up to 900 guests, while BBC reporting cites plans for a capacity of 1,350.

On Dec. 16, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejected a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily halt construction while the project undergoes additional review, the Associated Press reported.

However, the judge said he plans to hold a hearing in January on the group’s request for a preliminary injunction and warned the administration not to make underground construction decisions that would lock in the ballroom’s above-ground design, per Bloomberg.