The White House has revealed that major companies in the tech, defense and crypto industries are helping Donald Trump fund his $300m ballroom at the White House, where work is under way to demolish the entire East Wing.
Some donors last week were invited to a White House dinner celebrating their contribution to the ballroom project, including representatives from Google, Amazon and Lockheed Martin.
“Chief executives throughout history have contributed to making the White House special, and nothing of this magnitude has been done,” Trump told the donors at the start of the dinner, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said the ballroom “is being paid for 100% by me and some friends of mine”.
While the president initially said the 90,000 sq ft ballroom would cost $200m, he upped the figure to $300m on Wednesday.
In a letter to the White House on Thursday, House Democrats deplored the demolition and the lack of transparency around the new ballroom.
“This project represents one of the most substantial alterations to the White House in modern history,” the letter said. »