White House Laughs Off Trump’s Proposal to Build a $100M Ballroom
White House says Donald Trump's offer to build ballroom not seriously considered
— -- The Obama administration has laughed off Donald Trump's idea to put a $100 million ballroom in the White House to entertain the leaders of China and other countries.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest confirmed reports that Trump offered to build the lavish space, a proposal he characterized as “not something that was at all seriously considered.”
“I'm not sure that it would be appropriate to have a shiny gold Trump sign…on any part of the White House,” Earnest joked.
Earnest indicated it was his assumption that the offer would include a “shiny gold Trump sign” because “that's what most of the buildings that he offers to build include.” Still, he acknowledged that it was “unclear” how Trump envisioned that the ballroom would have been marketed.
In recent days, Trump has repeated his criticism of the White House for setting up a large tent on the South Lawn for some official State dinners.
“Every time the top people come over from China...they put up a tent at the White House,” Trump said on Sunday in Sioux City, Iowa. “We’ll have a ballroom at the White House.”
Trump previously revealed his ambition to build a ballroom at the White House in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in 2011.
At the time, Trump told Stephanopoulos that he pitched the idea to David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Obama, who said that he passed Trump’s inquiry to the White House social secretary.
Axelrod said that Trump had previously phoned to offer to take over the clean-up effort from Admiral Thad Allen following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 -- a request that was denied.