We don’t need a 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House. Say no to Trump’s $400 million dollar vanity project!
Dear MoveOn member,
Trump is doing everything in his power to ram through approval of his extravagant ballroom—and congressional Republicans are trying to make taxpayers foot the bill.
Republican senators, led by Senator Lindsey Graham, have introduced a bill to fund the construction of the 90,000-square-foot ballroom to the tune of $400 million.1
The ballroom is just another in a long line of Trump’s attempts to continue his authoritarian power grabs in D.C., like his plans to build the so-called “Arc de Trump” along the Potomac River. And his proposal to pay for them with private donations from his supporters raises serious ethical concerns.
And it doesn’t end with monuments or buildings—the State Department just announced plans to release a passport design with Trump’s face plastered on it.2
No Trump ballroom!
Trump’s ballroom is facing pushback in the courts and with historic preservation societies, and even some Republican lawmakers oppose the use of taxpayer dollars to build it.3 And 56% of Americans opposed Trump’s initial plans.4
Sen. Graham is suggesting that national park user fees and customs fees can be used to offset the ballroom bill, while gas prices are soaring and working families are struggling to pay.5
Shortly after being evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump supporters took to social media and the press claiming that the ballroom was now justified—claims echoed by Trump officials demanding the lawsuit against the ballroom project be dropped in the wake of the assassination attempt.6
Even something as serious as political violence is being contorted by Trump for his own gain. It’s shameful. Everyday people who live with the fear of gun violence in their schools, workplaces, and communities don’t have luxury ballrooms to shield them. As Congress continues to neglect taking commonsense action around gun violence prevention, they are instead considering using taxpayer dollars to build Trump his own gilded ballroom—complete with bomb shelters and medical facilities.7 What about the rest of us, the people they were elected to represent?
Thanks for all you do.
–Aliya, Kenia, Kelsey, Katie, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Where Trump’s ballroom stands — and what roadblocks remain,” Axios, April 28, 2026
https://www.axios.com/2026/04/28/trump-ballroom-project-congress-court
2. “State Department to release limited edition ‘America250’ passports with Trump’s face,” Politico, April 28, 2026
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/28/trump-passports-state-department-00896221
3. “Where Trump’s ballroom stands — and what roadblocks remain,” Axios, April 28, 2026
https://www.axios.com/2026/04/28/trump-ballroom-project-congress-court
4. “Americans oppose Trump’s White House ballroom by 2-to-1 ratio, new poll finds,” Politico, October 30, 2025
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/30/trump-east-wing-ballroom-poll-00629724
5. “Senate Republicans push bill to authorize $400M for White House ballroom,” The Hill, April 27, 2026
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5852036-gop-senators-white-house-ballroom-bill/
6. “DoJ pressures group to drop lawsuit against Trump’s ballroom after gala shooting,” The Guardian, April 27, 2026
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/27/doj-trump-ballroom-gala-security
7. “Trump’s ballroom fight sheds new light on an underground White House bunker,” NPR, April 3, 2026
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/03/nx-s1-5772665/trump-ballroom-underground-military-bunker
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