$400-million lie

'It was always a scam': Trump's ally torches his $400-million lie wide open with a desperate scare tactic, and now his own party is revolting

Story by Atlanta Black Star News

The American people could now be on the hook for what critics say is one of President Donald Trump’s most expensive vanity projects.

Just months after promising a lavish White House ballroom would cost taxpayers nothing, Trump allies were suddenly on Capitol Hill, making the case for the exact opposite, while also pointing to an attempted assassination at the Washington Hilton as proof the project can’t wait. 

The shift didn’t just catch Democrats off guard; it also split Republicans who have spent years warning about runaway spending, only to now face a $400 million construction bill tied to a president known for ideas that don’t always deliver.

The ballroom fight is now boiling down to whether a recent security scare is being used as cover to move forward with a project Trump once insisted would be paid for entirely with private money. 

The proposal faces steep odds in Congress, where divisions within Trump’s own party may prove just as decisive as Democratic opposition. 

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Trump’s earlier stance was clear. In February, he said, “We did this with no charge to the taxpayer whatsoever. This was all donations by friends of mine and people who love our country, love the White House. Not one penny. And it’s very expensive ballroom.” 

That assurance now clashes with a Senate push to use public funds — a reversal critics say fits Trump’s habit of making sweeping promises upfront, then moving the goalposts when reality catches up.

The change in direction comes after a would-be assassin tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last Saturday night, forcing Trump and other top officials to leave after gunfire erupted. The incident rattled lawmakers and gave Trump allies an opening to argue that holding large events outside the White House complex is no longer safe.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, leading the charge, framed the proposal as urgent and necessary. 

“America has a problem, and we intend to fix it,” Graham told reporters, according to NBC News. “This is not about Trump. It’s about the presidency of the United States. It’s about the person who occupies that office not being put at risk if they choose to go off campus.”

He doubled down on the security argument. 

“It’s very difficult to have a bunch of important people in the same place unless it’s really, really secure,” he said, according to The Hill. “The times in which we live are unusual. I’ve been up here for a while now, I’ve never felt the sense of threat that exists today.”

The plan calls for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on White House grounds, complete with what Graham described as “military stuff” and a “Secret Service annex” beneath it. He argued the cost could be offset through fees, but made clear he doesn’t want the project relying solely on private donors. “Private donations can be used, but I think they should be used for buying china and stuff like that,” he said.

Other Trump allies are balking at the price tag, especially given the national debt. Florida Sen. Rick Scott questioned the need for taxpayer funding at all. “I don’t know why you would do it” with taxpayer money “if it’s all funded,” he said, adding, “We have $39 trillion in debt. Maybe we ought to stop spending money.”

Others echoed that skepticism. Sen. Josh Hawley said, “If you’ve got private donors who want to do it … I prefer that to the taxpayer being on the hook.” 

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was more direct: “I am always conservative, and he already has the money,” Paul said. “And I’m not against putting in reconciliation and doing a nominal amount. I’m not for funding the whole $500 million. I think he’s already raised the money through private means.”

Democrats, meanwhile, have shown little interest in backing the effort, even while condemning the violence that prompted it. 

Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz pushed back on the broader premise. “…We can’t be society where there’s no public events and everything happens in a reinforced ballroom,” he said. “So whether there would ever be 60 votes for for a ballroom — I haven’t counted yet, but I also haven’t found any Democrat who says yes.”

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin added, “At this point no. There’s obviously a lot of questions about how much it costs, how many people will be accommodated.” He also raised concerns about transparency: “Who’s paying for this? What’s the arrangement? This administration has too many times come up with deferment of payment to special interest sources. We don’t know the details.”

Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is the only Democrat who has spoken out in favor of the ballroom. He suggested that opponents of the project have “Trump derangement syndrome.”

“After witnessing last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these,” Fetterman said on X, without saying whether taxpayers should foot the bill.

Outside Washington, critics suspected the matter was another one of Trump’s schemes. 

Meidas Touch editor Ron Filipkowski wrote: “He never had the money to pay for the ballroom. It was always a scam. We were always going to have to pay for it. They were just waiting for the right moment to hit us with the bill. This is now the time.”

Others questioned the timing and focus. “Absolute non-stop ballroom talk for almost 48 hours straight since Saturday from every member of the party,” one commenter observed. “Nothing else, no other topic is on their mind at all. Tell me again the whole thing wasn’t staged cause I’m very gullible and will believe you.”

Another critic framed it in simpler terms: “Maybe they should explain why average people should care about a billionaire’s wet dream of a ballroom at a building average people aren’t even allowed to go to.”

Supporters, however, leaned into the security argument, even if skeptics saw inconsistencies. “Trump and his followers are very concerned about security. A secure ballroom will help keep the President secure. Also, here is Trump at a very secure UFC match, a very secure Super Bowl, and a very secure golf event. Because it’s all about security.”

Adding another layer to the debate, Trump acknowledged that materials for the project wouldn’t come entirely from the United States, undercutting his long-running “America First” messaging. When asked about the granite, he said: “It was carved in Italy. It came from another location. You know where? Africa,” before adding, “Yeah. Is that OK?”