President Donald Trump hosted a White House dinner Wednesday for almost 130 top donors, corporate allies, and influential supporters, honoring their commitments to a new, expansive ballroom.
The new ballroom, now projected to cost around $250 million, marks the largest renovation effort Trump, the former real estate developer, has embarked on during his second term in the White House.
A White House official said representatives from major companies including Amazon, Apple, Booz Allen Hamilton, Coinbase, Comcast, Google, Lockheed Martin, Meta, and T-Mobile attended the dinner. The Adelson Family Foundation, established by GOP donors Miriam Adelson and her late husband Sheldon, was also present.
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The guest list also included oil magnate Harold Hamm, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler and her husband Jeff Sprecher, as well as crypto entrepreneurs Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Trump said the ballroom will feature bulletproof glass on all four sides and be grand enough to host a presidential inauguration, while its design including window shapes, molding, and color will remain in keeping with the White House’s historic aesthetic.
“To me, there’s nothing like the White House,” Trump said, later adding, “It’s just a special place so we have to take care of it.”
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The ballroom is set to occupy the space currently housing the East Wing and will cover 90,000 square feet. While the White House initially stated it would accommodate 650 guests, Trump said Wednesday that it could host up to 999 people.
The ballroom has not yet been cleared by the National Capital Planning Commission or the Commission of Fine Arts, which normally review federal construction projects. However, White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf also appointed by Trump to head the planning commission said approval isn’t necessary. At the dinner, Trump asserted that as president, he faces no zoning restrictions and can proceed with the project as he chooses.
During the dinner, Trump also introduced a separate initiative: an arch to be erected at one end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, linking Virginia and Washington, D.C. He displayed three scale models of the proposed arch, which will feature Lady Liberty atop, noting that the largest model was his preferred design.
“It’s going to be really beautiful,” Trump said.
The presence of major corporations and high-profile tech leaders at the dinner highlights the growing alignment between Trump’s vision and the business community. Their investments and pledges reflect not just financial support but a shared interest in shaping projects that mirror the president’s ambitions, signaling a deepening partnership between private enterprise and his White House initiatives.