The 90,000-square-foot presidential ballroom on White House grounds is now expected to cost around $400 million, up from the original estimate of $200 million. Besides the ballroom, the proposal includes a military operations complex and a Secret Service annex beneath the ballroom for use during emergencies. Republicans in Congress are reportedly working on a separate $1 billion proposal related to the project.
When a female reporter pointed out that the cost of the project had also doubled, Trump stepped closer and fired back at her, saying, “I doubled the size of it, you dumb person!” He added, “Doubled the size! You are not a smart person.”The latest exchange is part of a growing pattern of tense confrontations between Trump and the media.
Just last week, the President clashed with ABC News correspondent Rachet Scott during a discussion near the Lincoln Memorial about cleanup efforts around the National Mall Reflecting Pool. She questioned him, “Mr President, you are here against the backdrop of the war in Iran, why focus on all these projects right now, especially with gas prices soaring?”
“You know why? Because I wanna keep our country beautiful and safe,” Trump said and then addressed Scott personally, saying, “Such a stupid question that you asked.”
“I doubled the size of it you dumb person,” President Trump told a reporter when asked why the cost for the new White House ballroom has doubled. “You are not a smart person.”
“I’ve doubled the size of it because we obviously need that, and we’re right now on budget, under… pic.twitter.com/RqDfKseg1e
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 12, 2026
He added, “This is one of the worst reporters. She’s with ABC fake news, and she’s a horror show … a question like that is a disgrace to our country.”
