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Right-wing media spent months claiming Trump’s ballroom wouldn’t cost taxpayers a penny. Republicans are now proposing $1 billion in taxpayer money to secure it.

Written by Isabella Corrao & Jane Lee

Published

Since President Donald Trump first demolished the East Wing to build a new White House ballroom, right-wing media personalities have frequently echoed White House talking points asserting that private donors would fund the ballroom at no cost to taxpayers. Recently, however, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) proposed $1 billion as part of a “long-term immigration and border patrol funding bill” for security upgrades related to the ballroom construction project, including “above-ground and below-ground security features.”

Below are several examples of right-wing media personalities previously claiming that the ballroom would be constructed at no charge to taxpayers.

  • Right-wing media asserted that the ballroom would come at no cost to taxpayers

    • America’s Newsroom anchor Bill Hemmer said that the ballroom would be “paid for with private money,” adding that “we’re not spending a dime on this.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 8/1/25]
    • Fox News host Jesse Watters reported: “This big beautiful ballroom isn’t taxpayer-funded. Trump’s using his own cash with a little help from his friends.” He added, “Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Lockheed Martin executives were all in the room” during Trump’s announcement of the ballroom, “and the president made them cut checks.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 10/16/25]
    • Fox host Sean Hannity said on his radio show: “There's not one taxpayer dollar being spent on this project. Donald Trump and his donors are paying for all of it, not a penny of your money that's going to be spent on this project to beautify the White House.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 10/21/25]
    • Hannity: “Oh, the horror. President Trump is now remodeling the East Wing of the White House and building one big beautiful new ballroom, all paid for by himself and private donations, which is apparently a mortal sin in the eyes of the crazy left in this country.” [Fox News, Hannity, 10/21/25]
    • New York Post’s Miranda Devine: “I think that the furor over the ballroom just shows how little the left and the Democrats have to complain about with Donald Trump. As you say, he's not paying — taxpayers are not paying a cent for this fantastic new ballroom.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 10/21/25]
    • Watters: “The president’s building the biggest and most beautiful ballroom in the world. And it's free. Trump and donors put up the money.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 10/21/25]
    • The Five cohost Dana Perino: “I’m a traditionalist. I love tradition, but I do think you can make improvements along the way. And to have a ballroom wouldn’t be a terrible thing. Plus, taxpayers are not paying for it.” [Fox News, The Five, 10/21/25]
    • Outnumbered cohost Kayleigh McEnany: “The Trump White House getting a new look. The administration is overseeing the remodeling of the East Wing, making way for a brand-new ballroom that won't cost taxpayers a dime.” [Fox News, Outnumbered, 10/22/25]
    • Outnumbered cohost Emily Compagno: “President Trump adds a taxpayer-free ballroom, and suddenly the left’s doing the meltdown mambo.” [Fox News, The Five, 10/22/25]
    • Fox contributor Raymond Arroyo: “Your taxes are not paying for the ballroom. In fact, the president and private funders are financing this build of the ballroom.” [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 10/22/25]
    • Hannity: “I think we ought to have a grand ballroom. … You're not paying one penny for it. Not one taxpayer dime is being spent on this.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 10/27/25]
    • Hannity attacked former Vice President Kamala Harris for criticizing Trump’s ballroom: “We've had, you know, 20 presidents modernize the White House and add this and add that. Donald Trump is doing his best. It's not one taxpayer's cent.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 10/31/25]
    • On America’s Newsroom, National Review columnist Caroline Downey said: “This ballroom renovation, construction, is going to be, from what reporting says, funded by private donors, not taxpayer dollars. So it’s not going to be this huge dent in the taxpayers’ bank accounts.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 11/10/25]
    • Watters: “I never understood the opposition to the ballroom. I mean, all women love ballrooms. And what do guys care? It's free. The argument that it's a lavish vanity project, maybe. But it's mostly for national security.” [Fox News, The Five, 4/27/26]
    • Hannity on the ballroom: “It’s not going to cost the taxpayers a penny. It's going to be one of the most secure buildings, by far, in the world. Why would there be any reluctance or resistance to building it when every future president will benefit from it?” [Fox News, Hannity, 4/27/26]