Trump Told Jesse Watters He’s Building White House Ballroom as a ‘Monument’ to Himself ‘Because No One Else Will,’ Host Claims
YOU NEED TO KNOW
-
Fox News host Jesse Watters claimed that President Donald Trump told him he would build the White House’s new ballroom as a “monument” to him.
-
He added that Trump said he did it because “nobody else would do it.”
-
Watters described the alleged conversation while speaking at the Turning Point USA AmericaFest in Phoenix on Dec. 20.
Jesse Watters allegations President Donald Trump He told her that he built the White House’s new ballroom as a “monument” to her and that he did it “because no one else would.”
The Fox News host described the alleged conversation while speaking at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, a multi-day conservative conference and festival held in Phoenix on Saturday, December 20. video A portion of that moment has since been published on X.
As Watters, 47, told the large crowd that he had shared a meal with Trump, 79, the president asked him if he wanted to see a representation of the “big, beautiful ballroom.”
“I said, ‘Sure, let me see,’” Watters continued. “HE [Trump] It reveals everything. And friends, I don’t know if you know this; The ballroom is huge. For example, I said: ‘Mr. Mr. President, the ballroom is four times the size of the White House.’ ”
McCrery Architects / White House
Interior design of proposed White House ballroom
“He said, ‘Jesse, this is a monument. I’m building a monument for myself because no one else will,'” Watters said. added Watters, causing the audience to laugh out loud.
PEOPLE Puzzler puzzle is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Trump recently said the 90,000-square-foot ballroom, built on the site of the old East Wing, will be renovated. it now costs $400 million – A significant jump compared to previous estimates.
Trump announced the updated price tag during a Hanukkah reception at the White House on Dec. 17, where he also announced that a federal judge had allowed construction of the controversial project to move forward. He thanked the official, who repeated this figure many times, for paving the way for construction to continue and described the decision as an “act of courage”.
The ballroom, funded entirely by private donors, including a contribution from Trump, is expected to be completed in summer 2028.
PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty
Heavy machinery demolished part of the East Wing as construction began on the White House ballroom on October 20, 2025
Trump argued that the expanded ballroom was needed so future presidents could hold large events indoors rather than on the South Lawn.
Never miss a story — sign up PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter To stay up to date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling juicy stories.
It’s unclear how many people the space can accommodate. Trump told NBC News It will host up to 900 people in September; BBC The report states plans for a capacity of 1,350.
On Dec. 16, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily halt construction while the project undergoes additional review. Associated Press reported.
But the judge said he planned to hold a hearing in January on the group’s request for a preliminary injunction and warned the administration against making underground construction decisions that would lock out the ballroom’s above-ground design. Bloomberg.
Read the original article People
