President Donald Trump said his White House ballroom is “under budget, and ahead of schedule” on Aug. 22.
The president’s progress update came less than a day after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to continue construction.
The administrative stay, issued by Chief Justice John Roberts on Aug. 21, will give the justices additional time to consider Trump’s request to continue working amid a lawsuit seeking to stop the project.
“Presidents have wanted this for 150 years, and so has everyone else. It will give the White House, and all of D.C., Great National Security,” Trump said. “The Ballroom will be paid for with ZERO Dollars of Taxpayer Money. Great American Patriots and Companies are footing the entire bill.”
The complex will be underground with five stories, but the president has not shared many details due to security concerns.
Additional changes include adding a new helipad and driveway, changing the grass on the South Lawn, and making renovations to the White House facade, which the president said was in “very bad shape.”
The project has received scrutiny, especially from Democrats in Congress, who accuse the Trump administration of violating the Constitution and federal law.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and 32 other members of Congress filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court this week, claiming that the White House should not have demolished the East Wing and started construction on the ballroom because it was never authorized by Congress.
“Amici curiae are Members of Congress who understand that the Constitution empowers Congress—not the President—to control federal property, including determining whether (and how) parts of the White House should be demolished or constructed,” the brief stated.
The Trump administration wants to have the ballroom completed in 2028, with the project being done before his second presidential term ends.