Washington, Jan 26 (IANS) US President Donald J. Trump has said he is building a major ballroom complex at the White House as a private gift to the United States, while accusing preservation advocates of filing a late lawsuit to block the project.
In a detailed statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the project would cost between $300 million and $400 million and would be carried out in close coordination with the US military and the Secret Service from the beginning. He said no taxpayer funds were being used.
“I’m building, on top of everything else that I am doing, one of the greatest and most beautiful Ballrooms anywhere in the World, with more than 300 Million Dollars of Great American Patriots’ money, and working closely with, right from the beginning, the United States Military and Secret Service,” Trump wrote.
Trump described the project as “a GIFT (ZERO taxpayer funding!) to the United States of America,” adding that the final cost would depend on “the scope and quality of interior finishes.”
He said the ballroom was meant to meet a long-standing need at the White House for a large indoor space for official functions. Trump said such a space had been sought for more than 150 years by previous presidents and administrations.
According to Trump, the new ballroom would ensure that the White House is no longer forced to rely on what he called a “cheap and unsafe ‘tent,’” used on the lawn for major state events, dinners, meetings, conferences, and already scheduled future inaugurations.
He said the project was necessary for safety, security, and capacity reasons, especially given the weather-related risks associated with outdoor or temporary structures.
Trump said that despite what he described as broad awareness of the project, it was now facing legal action. He said he had been sued by the “Radical Left National (No!)Trust for Historic Preservation.”
“But no, as usual, I got sued,” Trump wrote, accusing the group of trying to block what he described as a widely supported initiative.
He said major construction materials had already been ordered or were ready to be ordered. He listed items including “Structural Steel, Windows, Doors, A.C./Heating Equipment, Marble, Stone, Precast Concrete, Bulletproof Windows and Glass, Anti-Drone Roofing, and much more.”
“There is no practical or reasonable way to go back. IT IS TOO LATE!” Trump wrote.
Trump questioned why the lawsuit was filed at this stage and said Congress had never attempted or wanted to stop the project. “Everyone knew what was taking place at the White House,” he said.
He also responded to concerns about the East Wing of the White House, which is near the proposed addition. Trump said the structure had already been extensively altered over the years.
“For those that are interested, the tiny East Wing was so ‘bastardized’ and changed, built and rebuilt over the years, that it bore no resemblance or relationship to the original building,” he wrote.
Trump said so-called preservationists should not be allowed to block what he described as a necessary addition to the White House. He said a president has never needed permission to change or enhance the complex because of the special status of the grounds.
He added that the project had the “design, consent, and approval of the highest levels of the United States Military and Secret Service.” He said the filing of the lawsuit had already exposed what he described as a previously top-secret fact.
Trump warned that halting construction now would cause serious harm. “Stoppage of construction, at this late date, when so much has already been ordered and done, would be devastating to the White House, our Country, and all concerned,” he wrote.
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