Donald Trump's $400m White House ballroom won't cost US taxpayers, Senate rules

The Senate has saved American taxpayers from having to cough up $400m for Donald Trump's elaborate White House ballroom.

The US President has long insisted that private donors would be funding the nine-figure works, which have so far included the renovation of the building's East Wing. Trump, 79, previously described his plan for the 'finest ballroom of its kind, anywhere in the world', announcing its completion by September 2028.

In a humiliating blow, however, Republican officials were recently forced to ask that $1 billion of taxpayer funds to pay for a series of Secret Service security upgrades.

The request reportedly came in response to a recent shooting attempt at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner that Trump attended last month, which saw an armed man, later identified as Cole Tomas Allen, rush a security checkpoint and exchange gunfire with law enforcement.

The entire East Wing was pulled down (Eric Lee/Getty Images)

The incident also led administration officials to demand that the hotly debated project be fast-tracked.

Unsurprisingly, the plea sparked outrage from Democrats, who argued that security tax earnings shouldn't be used to cover the extra cost needed for the ballroom's completion.

Though Republicans - who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate - have used budget-based technicalities to pass financial bills without left-wing support thus far, the Senate's parliamentarian decided to strike down the suggestion that allotted security funds be used for the renovation.

The decision was made on Saturday (16 May) by Elizabeth MacDonough, who has served as a referee in Congress's upper chamber for the last 13 years.

Discussing MacDonough's ruling, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X: "Republicans tried to make taxpayers foot the bill for Trump's billion-dollar ballroom. Senate Democrats fought back — and blew up their first attempt.

Taxpayer money won't be used to fund the project (Al Drago/Getty Images)

"Now Ballroom Republicans say they're going back to the drawing board to try again. And Senate Democrats will be ready to stop them again."

He added: "Americans don't want a ballroom. They don't need a ballroom. And they sure as hell should not be forced to pay for one."

The decision is the latest blow for ballroom cheerleaders, after the National Trust for Preservation previously sued Trump's administration on the grounds that the works so far had been done against the law without congressional approval.

Despite this, an appeals court last month ruled for the works to continue.