Donald Trump reveals new details of plan to makeover White House | US | News
Donald Trump gave an update on his beloved White House ballroom at an event on Thursday; he and First Lady Melania signed an executive order to expand resources for youth aging out of the foster care system.
After the first lady shared her remarks in the East Room, the president took over, saying he was “delighted” to sign the Encouraging the Future initiative. Trump during his speech It took a while to talk about the wall behind.
“And meanwhile right behind me, About two years from now there will be a much larger room because we had to turn away a lot of people,” he said, turning to the wall. “And it’s going to be right here. This will be the entrance.”
Trump said the wall “will look a lot better in no time” as it will become the entrance to the White House’s new ballroom.
“And we’re going to move from this room to a room that can seat a few more people. It’s going to be beautiful,” he said, adding that the ballroom has become very popular and is something people have wanted for 150 years. “
The White House State Ballroom was announced in July 2025 and is planned to be a 90,000-square-foot venue for official events. The ballroom is expected to have a seating capacity of 900 people.
Construction of the ballroom began in September 2025 with the demolition of the East Wing. Construction continued until a historic 43-day federal government shutdown sparked criticism when thousands of people went without pay for more than a month.
Initial reports said the project was expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2029, but Trump said the project could take as little as “about two years.”
promoting the future
The Trumps signed an executive order creating the Supporting the Future program, which will bring together federal agencies, nonprofits, educational institutions and the private sector to improve opportunities for children exiting the foster care system.
The decision will also create an online network to help kids connect with career and educational resources. Melania said the order “gives me great pride” and that the effort was “both empathetic and strategic.”
“I call on the leaders of these various organizations, including the private sector, to join my efforts,” Melania said during her speech, urging others to “overcome the ease of inaction.”
Meanwhile, the president noted that Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance were also involved in Melania’s efforts and asked them to stand for applause.
“We will achieve absolutely incredible results,” he said.
