Trump defends $200M privately funded White House ballroom with historic examples

President Donald Trump’s privately financed $200 million White House ballroom is the latest “bold and necessary addition” to the executive residence, officials said, describing the East Wing construction as a continuation of presidential improvements dating back more than a century.

Photos of the East Wing’s crumbling facade went viral Monday, prompting criticism online and a swift denial from the White House. who wrote this “Deranged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a privately financed grand ballroom…a bold, necessary addition that reflects the storied history of improvements and additions made by commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence a beacon of American greatness.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the president’s message on “Jesse Watters Primetime” Tuesday, saying: “I believe there is a lot of fake anger right now.

HILLARY CLINTON DISCOVERS VOTERS AGAINST TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION: ‘IT’S NOT HIS HOME”

“Almost every president who has lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own,” Leavitt added. “In fact, for decades presidents have joked — in modern times — about wishing they had a larger event space in the White House that could accommodate hundreds of people than the current East Room and State Dining Room.

“President Obama even complained about having to host a state dinner on the South Lawn during his tenure and having to rent a very expensive tent.”

One Article shared on TuesdayThe administration listed more than a dozen examples of leaders who “renovated, expanded and modernized” the property to “meet today’s needs,” from Theodore Roosevelt’s West Wing in 1902 to Barack Obama’s Kitchen Garden in 2009.

Trump first confirmed the ballroom project on Truth Social on Monday, writing: “I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken for the construction of the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom. The East Wing, which is completely separate from the White House, is being completely modernized… and will be more beautiful than ever when completed!”

“For over 150 years, every President has dreamed of owning a Ballroom… I am honored to be the first President to finally bring this much-needed project to life at zero cost to the American Taxpayers!” He continued, crediting “many generous Patriots, Great American Corporations, and yours truly” for financing the construction. “This Ballroom will be happily used for generations to come!”

The White House’s Quick Response 47 account also shared a detailed thread on Tuesday X showing how past presidents “renovated, expanded and modernized the White House to meet today’s needs.”

TRUMP BREAKS THE GROUND OF THE GIANT WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT WITH PRIVATE FINANCE FROM ‘PATRIOTS’

This photo, provided by the U.S. Library of Congress, shows crowds outside the White House on the wedding day of President Wilson’s daughter, Jessie Woodrow Wilson, who married Francis Bowes Sayre in a ceremony at the White House in Washington on November 25, 1913. (U.S. Library of Congress via AP)

Trump elaborated on the issue Tuesday, calling the federal government “so big for no reason.”

“We are building a world-class ballroom,” he said. “You probably hear the beautiful sound of construction from the back. It’s like music to my ears. People don’t like it. I love it. When I hear that sound, it reminds me of money. In this case, it’s lack of money, because I’m paying for it.”

Trump also noted that the East Room, currently the largest indoor event space, is little more than a “cocktail area” that holds about 88 people.

During a Diwali event at the White House on Tuesday night, Trump again addressed the project and his decision not to accept a salary, saying “they probably owe me a lot of money” for everything he put into the building.

President Donald Trump speaks with Republican senators during lunch in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

“If I get money from our country, I’ll do something nice with it. Like donate it to charity or give it to the White House,” he said. “We’re restoring the White House and doing a great job. The ballroom is under construction. They’ve been trying to take it away for 150 years.”

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The ballroom project is the latest in a series of improvements Trump has made to the property, which also includes an overhaul of the Rose Garden and Palm Room.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.