President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed the construction of his lavish White House ballroom is “under budget and ahead of schedule” after he replaced the lead architect.
In a Truth Social post, he criticized CNN after Kaitlan Collins asked why the privately funded ballroom is costing $100 million more than initially projected. In response to the reporter, he said the project has a higher price tag because the undertaking will be more ambitious in scope.
“It is going to be double the size, and the quality of finishes and interiors has been brought to the highest level. Also, the column SPAN has been substantially increased for purposes of viewing,” Trump wrote. “It is actually under budget and ahead of schedule, as my jobs always are. It’s just much bigger and more beautiful than originally planned.”
When the White House announced the project in July, the ballroom was expected to cost $200 million and fit roughly 650 people. The estimated cost is now projected to be $300 million, and Trump wants the space where the East Wing once was to accommodate up to 1,000 people.
The president’s original lead architect, James McCreery II, disagreed with Trump on the ballroom’s large size, according to the Washington Post. Plans have the building measured at 90,000 square feet, approximately 35,000 square feet more than the White House itself.
Following the reported disagreement, Trump tapped Shalom Baranes to lead construction. The White House anticipates the ballroom will be completed before the end of Trump’s second term.
“As we begin to transition into the next stage of development on the White House Ballroom, the Administration is excited to share that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision on building what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office — the White House Ballroom,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said.
Trump boasted on Truth Social that the project is being fully funded by private donations instead of relying on taxpayer dollars, which he appears to accuse CNN of ignoring in its reporting.
“FAKE NEWS CNN, and the guy who runs the whole corrupt operation that owns it, is one of the worst in the business,” he wrote. “Their ratings are so low that they’re not even counted or relevant anymore.”
Aside from the ballroom, Trump also criticized Fox News Saturday morning on Truth Social for interviewing stockbroker Peter Schiff, whom he calls a “Trump hating loser who has already proven to be wrong.”
“He thinks prices are going up when, in fact, they are coming substantially down. Gasoline hit $1.99 a gallon yesterday, in certain states, and is down BIG since Biden,” he said. “Other prices are almost all down. Biden caused the AFFORDABILITY CRISIS, I’M FIXING IT, along with everything else! Much of it, like the Border, is already fixed.”
On Saturday’s episode of Fox & Friends, Schiff argued gas prices won’t stay low much longer while other prices are on the upward trend. He also claimed Trump’s economic message is not much different from Bidenomics, and that products will only become less affordable under Trump.
TRUMP HIRES NEW ARCHITECT FOR WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM
“Either the show made a mistake, or it is heading in a different direction,” the president said of Fox’s weekend program. “Check out the ‘booker’ who put this jerk on!”
Trump is soon set to start his nationwide affordability tour in northeastern Pennsylvania, where he will likely tout lower gas prices and other aspects of his economic agenda. The tour will begin in the Keystone State on Tuesday, with future tour stops to be determined.