Republicans split on using taxpayer funds for Trump’s ballroom

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s top allies are pushing for Congress to fund an expensive White House ballroom after the president was evacuated from a dinner Saturday in the sprawling hotel ballroom where a gunman breached a security checkpoint.

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But Republicans are divided on whether taxpayers should foot the bill, with some preferring to let Trump raise private funds to build the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. And Democrats remain staunchly opposed, meaning passing a bill would pose a heavy burden on Republicans.

On Monday, a trio of Republican senators — Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Katie Britt of Alabama and Eric Schmitt of Missouri — announced legislation providing $400 million to build a new ballroom on the White House grounds.

“America has a problem and we intend to solve it,” Graham told reporters. “It’s not about Trump. It’s about the presidency of the United States. It’s about the person in this position is not at risk if they choose to leave campus.”

Graham said the money could be partially offset by “customs fees” but should not be left to private funds. Underneath, he said, there will be “military elements” and a “secret service annex.”

“Private donations can be used, but I think they should be used to buy china and things like that,” he said.

Other Republicans told NBC News on Monday that the project should be done with private funding.

“I don’t know why you would do it” with taxpayer money “if it’s all funded,” said Sen. Rick Scott, Republican of Florida, a Trump ally and a spending hawk.

“We have $39 trillion in debt,” he added. “Maybe we should stop spending money.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said there was a legal question about whether Congress should vote to authorize the White House to carry out major reconstruction on White House property. But when it comes to financing, he said he prefers private funds to public funds.

“I think the donors should all be public, but I don’t know why, if there are private donors who want to do it… I prefer that rather than paying the taxpayer,” he said. “But I think it’s another question whether we should allow it.”

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he, too, was not in favor of using taxpayer funds for the new ballroom.

“I’m still conservative and he already has the money,” Paul said. “And I’m not against reconciliation and paying a token amount. I’m not for funding the whole $500 million. I think he’s already raised the money through private means.”

Comcast Corp., the parent company of NBC News, is among the corporate donors to Trump’s ballroom.

When asked to respond to fellow Republicans who oppose taxpayer funds, Graham said: “Just vote no. All I’m asking you to do is vote. I don’t care how you vote. I want a vote. I want to see: Where is America on this? I bet 90 percent of the people wish they had better facilities than the Hilton to make sure this bullshit never happens again. … He “There are people out there just a click away from picking up a gun or something and trying to make America better by killing.”

“This is not a private donation event, this is a national security event.”

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Meanwhile, Democrats remain mostly opposed to the project and say Trump broke the law by failing to get congressional approval before demolishing the East Wing and moving forward with the project, which has been the subject of lawsuits. They also claim that the use of private money lends itself to corruption.

This position remains, even as they denounce what law enforcement has called an assassination attempt against Trump.

“There is no place for political violence in the United States of America. I’m glad the president is safe. I’m glad the Secret Service did its job. It’s also a fact that private events take place outside of the White House, and so we can’t be a society where there are no public events and everything happens in a reinforced ballroom,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, Democrat of Hawaii. “So if there would ever be 60 votes for a ballroom, I haven’t counted yet, but I haven’t found any Democrats who say yes either.”

One Democrat who has come out in favor of building a ballroom since Saturday’s dinner is Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, often the first to oppose his party. He suggested Sunday that opponents of the project were suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome.”

“After witnessing it last night, ditch TDS and build the White House Ballroom for events exactly like these,” Fetterman said on X, without specifying whether he was to receive taxpayer funds.

It seems highly unlikely that the ballroom bill will get the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate.

Some Republicans are discussing whether to put money into a bill they have begun advancing to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Making changes to the bill, which requires only a simple majority to pass, could slow efforts to reopen the Department of Homeland Security amid a record shutdown.

Graham, who is leading that process as chairman of the budget committee, said his preference is to pass his bill through the regular process requiring 60 votes in the Senate.

“But if it doesn’t work, I’m all for doing it anyway,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he did not know whether the ballroom could be funded through Reconciliation, saying the existing budget only applied to other committees. “There are only two commissions dealing with justice and internal security. But you know, we will see what is feasible,” he told reporters.

On Monday, the Justice Department charged Cole Tomas Allen, 31, a California teacher and engineer, with attempting to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner.

Authorities said he walked through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton, armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives, and exchanged gunfire with law enforcement. He was not allowed into the ballroom where the president, Vice President J.D. Vance, Speaker Mike Johnson and others in the line of succession were attending the dinner, the criminal complaint released Monday states.

Authorities said Allen sent his family members a note before the shooting saying he was targeting Trump administration officials, many of whom were present in the ballroom.

“The White House ballroom project is not just a fun project for President Trump… it’s actually critical to our national security that a larger, secure building on this complex, which is the most secure complex in the world, be built to accommodate not only large numbers of guests, but also the president, vice president and Cabinet members,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Monday.

“The line of succession in this country should be able to assemble freely and safely, without fear of threats or political violence,” said Leavitt, who sat at the head table with Trump.

Johnson, who can be seen on video being quickly evacuated by his security guards, told reporters: “They’re going to have to re-evaluate this. That’s why we need the ballroom… We need a facility that’s secure enough to host events like this without having major national security concerns.”

However, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., criticized the ballroom project when asked questions Monday, saying the U.S. national security priority should be ending the war in Iran.

“I haven’t seen a specific request for the ballroom. But it goes without saying that we have to reduce the cost of living. Living has become more expensive,” Jeffries told reporters, while calling on Congress to focus on other things. “This is not a vanity project resulting from the unauthorized destruction of the East Wing of the White House.”