Trump defends White House ballroom price hike as critics blast 'vanity project'

Donald Trump has defended the escalating cost estimates for his proposed ballroom, asserting that the massive building on the White House complex would still cost less than $400 million.

Mr Trump justified the increase in a Truth Social post, stating: "The only reason the cost has changed is because, after deep-rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal, which would not have been adequate to handle the necessary events, meetings, and even future Inaugurations."

He added: "The original price was 200 Million Dollars, the double-sized, highest quality completed project will be something less than 400 Million Dollars." This contradicts his earlier claim that private donations would cover the project's expenses.

His remarks followed a proposal by US Senate Republicans to allocate $1 billion in taxpayer funding to the Secret Service for security upgrades this year, which includes the White House ballroom. The specific amount designated for the ballroom within this package remains undisclosed.

Republican lawmakers advocated for legislation to fund and expedite the ballroom's construction just days after an alleged gunman was apprehended at last month's White House Correspondents' dinner, an event Mr Trump was scheduled to attend.

However, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin criticised the initiative, labelling it a Trump "vanity project" at a time when many Americans are facing financial hardship.