Trump Hosts Lavish Dinner to Thank Donors Behind New White House Ballroom Project

U.S. President Donald Trump hosted an opulent dinner at the White House on Wednesday evening to express gratitude to top business leaders and billionaires contributing to the construction of a new $250 million presidential ballroom.

The high-profile guest list reportedly featured representatives from major tech companies including Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Palantir, as well as defense contractor Lockheed Martin. Among the notable attendees were Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, founders of the cryptocurrency platform Gemini and famously depicted in The Social Network.

During his address, President Trump praised the generosity of the donors, joking that some offered as much as $25 million toward the project. “So many of you have been really, really generous,” he said. “A couple of you sitting here asked, ‘Sir, would $25 million be appropriate?’ I said, ‘I’ll take it.’”

The new ballroom—set to be the largest addition to the White House in over a century—is being financed entirely through private contributions. The project also includes $22 million from a recent settlement with YouTube, following the platform’s suspension of Trump’s account in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack.

Trump revealed that construction had already begun, unveiling the site to guests from the East Room. The grand structure will feature bulletproof glass walls, space for up to 1,000 attendees, and the capacity to host a presidential inauguration, though Trump did not specify whose.

This addition forms part of a wider series of White House renovations initiated since Trump’s return to office in January, which reportedly include gold embellishments in the Oval Office and modifications to the Rose Garden.

During the dinner, the president also previewed a new architectural concept—a monumental arch near the Lincoln Memorial. Displaying a model of the design, dubbed the “Arc de Trump,” he presented three proposed sizes, one of which would surpass the height of France’s iconic Arc de Triomphe.