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The proposed White House ballroom will cost as much as US$400 million, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying it will also be equipped to host inaugurations going forward.
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Trump gave the latest estimate Tuesday evening, while also predicting the project would come in under cost.
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“For 150 years, they wanted a ballroom,” Trump said during a Hanukkah reception, lamenting that the event had limits on invitations. “It’ll be the most beautiful ballroom, and it’ll handle inaugurations.”
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He said that inaugurations — held customarily at the U.S. Capitol — often have safety and weather challenges. “From a safety standpoint, we can do better,” he added. The proposed ballroom has 5-inch-thick glass windows “impenetrable by anything but a howitzer,” he said.
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The proposed cost of the ballroom has steadily risen, from US$200 million to Trump’s latest estimate. Its scale has also grown, with Trump at first saying it “won’t interfere with the current building” before instead bulldozing the entire East Wing. Trump has, according to reports, sparred with architects over the scale of the project, which is poised to dwarf the existing White House residence and West Wing, where the Oval Office sits.
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The White House has said it’s being financed by private donations, but has not publicly specified them — raising questions about which people or companies might fund it to curry favor with Trump.
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Earlier Tuesday, a federal judge overseeing a lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation did not halt work on the project as the court proceedings continue, according to CNN.
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“I thank the judge in the case for the courage in making the proper decision,” Trump said.
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