How Trump's Construction Projects Are Changing Washington and Costing Taxpayers
President Trump is pushing forward with an ambitious plan to transform Washington, D.C., through new construction and renovations, despite earlier claims that private donors would cover most of the costs. The White House projects are estimated to cost at least $900 million, with taxpayers footing a significant portion.
White House Correspondent Liz Landers delves into this issue.
The nation's capital is currently a bustling construction site, with scaffolding, work crews, and heavy equipment, all part of President Trump's vision to modernize the city and leave a lasting legacy.
President Trump states:
"We're doing little things. As a real estate person, I love doing it. To me, it's an honor. It's a great honor to do it."
The projects encompass a range of initiatives, including:
- Renovating the White House Rose Garden and Colonnade.
- Constructing a new Marine One helipad on the South Lawn.
- Restoring the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
- Gilding statues near the Lincoln Memorial.
- And more planned projects.
The president's focus on these projects is intense, mentioning them at 84 events across 66 days in the first seven months of 2026, according to PolitiFact.
Trump claims:
"We're building something the likes of which will never be even close to being completed."
The most significant project is the demolition of the East Wing to make way for a 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom and a new security facility. The estimated cost for this project is at least $600 million. While the White House states that private donations will cover the ballroom itself, taxpayers are responsible for the security enhancements.
In June, the Secret Service redirected $352 million in taxpayer funds towards the ballroom project, utilizing funds from the Trump-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Trump assures:
"We're on time, on budget. It's going beautifully. I have all the money I need. We're making a gift to the United States."
The 2024 campaign finance chair, Meredith O'Rourke, leads the fund-raising effort, according to Wall Street Journal reports. Donations are channeled through the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit previously used for minor D.C. projects like cherry tree maintenance.
Jon Golinger, a Democracy Advocate at Public Citizen, notes the lack of transparency:
"Almost no donors have revealed what they gave, and they're keeping the arrangement and the meetings that led to these decisions a secret."