Trump praises Rand Paul for White House ballroom project approval vote
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President Donald Trump gave a rare shout-out to longtime critic Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul after he voted to approve plans for the White House’s new ballroom on Thursday.
“I want to thank the hard-working Commissioners and Staff of the National Capital Planning Commission who voted overwhelmingly 8-1 to approve the magnificent White House Ballroom that now rises on this Sacred Ground,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“I am pleased to announce that even Board Member Senator Rand Paul cast a strong YES vote in what has been known as an extraordinarily difficult vote.”
TRUMP STOP AT OIL ADMINISTRATION SUMMIT TO VIEW THE PROGRESS OF THE WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks at a nomination hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill April 3. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Paul and Trump share a contentious relationship, including Paul being highly critical of Trump’s tariff policies and Trump’s military strikes against Iran. In late March, he was the only Republican to vote in favor of a war powers resolution aimed at limiting the president’s ability to pursue foreign military intervention.
Trump and Paul have been arguing since the 2015 GOP primaries, when they clashed during the first Republican debate in August 2015. Tensions have flared since then, including Trump calling Paul a “sick Wacko” in November.
McCrery Architects rendering of the new ballroom provided by the White House. (White House)
The ballroom still faces legal hurdles. A federal judge on Tuesday halted the project, ruling that construction of the 90,000-square-foot ballroom must receive Congressional approval.
“The President of the United States is a servant of the White House for the next generation of First Families. But he is not the owner!” Leon wrote in a 35-page decision. “No law comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TO STOP TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT; DOJ OBJECTED THE DECISION
An excavator works to clear rubble following the collapse of the East Wing of the White House on October 23, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Eric Lee/Getty Images)
The National Capital Planning Commission continued voting despite the decision. Commission Chairman Will Scharf said at the start of Thursday’s meeting that the judge’s decision merely blocks construction of the project.
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“We will get through this and continue to evaluate the East Wing modernization project,” he said.
The ballroom, funded by private donors, is planned to be completed by 2028. However, the project’s completion date is unknown as the Trump administration plans to appeal the judge’s decision.
