President Donald Trump hosted a White House dinner for nearly 130 influential supporters and corporate leaders, celebrating a significant renovation project and unveiling new initiatives.
On Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump welcomed nearly 130 top donors, corporate allies, and influential supporters to a White House dinner. The event celebrated their commitments to a new, expansive ballroom, which is projected to cost around $250 million.
This ballroom renovation represents the largest undertaking of Trump’s second term, reflecting his background as a real estate developer. A White House official confirmed that representatives from major companies, including Amazon, Apple, Booz Allen Hamilton, Coinbase, Comcast, Google, Lockheed Martin, Meta, and T-Mobile, were in attendance. The Adelson Family Foundation, founded by prominent GOP donors Miriam Adelson and her late husband Sheldon, was also present at the gathering.
Among the notable guests were oil magnate Harold Hamm, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler and her husband Jeff Sprecher, as well as cryptocurrency entrepreneurs Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
During the dinner, Trump described the ballroom as a space that would feature bulletproof glass on all four sides, grand enough to host a presidential inauguration. He emphasized that the design elements, including window shapes, molding, and color, would align with the historic aesthetic of the White House. “To me, there’s nothing like the White House,” Trump remarked, adding, “It’s just a special place so we have to take care of it.”
The new ballroom is set to occupy the area currently housing the East Wing and will cover an impressive 90,000 square feet. Initially, the White House indicated that the venue would accommodate 650 guests, but Trump announced that it could actually host up to 999 people.
Despite the ambitious plans, the ballroom has not yet received clearance from the National Capital Planning Commission or the Commission of Fine Arts, which typically review federal construction projects. However, White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf, appointed by Trump to lead the planning commission, stated that such approval is not necessary. During the dinner, Trump asserted that as president, he faces no zoning restrictions and can proceed with the project as he deems fit.
In addition to the ballroom announcement, Trump introduced a separate initiative to construct an arch at one end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, which connects Virginia and Washington, D.C. He showcased three scale models of the proposed arch, which will feature Lady Liberty atop it, noting that the largest model was his preferred design. “It’s going to be really beautiful,” Trump stated.
The presence of major corporations and high-profile tech leaders at the dinner underscores the growing alignment between Trump’s vision and the business community. Their investments and commitments reflect not only financial support but also a shared interest in shaping projects that resonate with the president’s ambitions. This gathering signals a deepening partnership between private enterprise and the initiatives of the Trump administration.
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