Donald Trump Denies Rumors About Naming White House Ballroom After Himself
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, firmly dismissed recent media reports claiming that he plans to name the new ballroom in the White House after himself.
According to reports from outlets like The Hill and ABC News, the new facility being constructed on the site of the completely demolished East Wing of the White House is allegedly set to bear the name ‘President Donald J.
Trump’s Ballroom.’ Trump, in a statement to journalists, emphasized that he has no such intentions: ‘There are no plans to name it after myself — that’s fake news,’ he said.
However, he mentioned that it might be called ‘the presidential ballroom’ or something similar, but the final name has yet to be decided.
Media reports also indicate that the White House has managed to raise over 350 million dollars for the construction of the hall, which exceeds the planned budget of 300 million dollars, highlighting significant support and enthusiasm for the project.
Trump suggested that part of the raised funds might be used to build an arch near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington: ‘We are planning to build an arch,’ he stated.
‘We’ve collected a lot of funds, and perhaps we will use them for this structure.
It will be an incredible addition to Washington.’ This week, excavators completely demolished the East Wing of the White House to make way for the new hall, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of Trump’s presidential term in 2029.
However, these plans have sparked mixed reactions, ranging from approval to outrage among the public, historians, and former residents of the residence.
According to a YouGov survey, more than half of Americans disapprove of demolishing this historic part of the White House.
An opinion piece by Chelsea Clinton, daughter of the former president, published in USA Today, criticized the project as a ‘symbol of how easily history can be erased when those in power forget their responsibilities.’ The history of the East Wing dates back to the early 19th century when President Thomas Jefferson built colonnades on both sides of the residence.
Later, during the renovation in 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt modernized the White House, and his distant relative Franklin D.
Roosevelt first made the East Wing a working space for the First Lady and staff, also installing a home theater, used by presidents Reagan, Clinton, Bush Jr., and Obama.
Notably, in 1942, Roosevelt equipped the East Wing with a bunker — the Presidential Emergency Operations Center — where government officials took shelter during the September 11 attacks, and Trump also used this bunker during protests after George Floyd’s death in 2020.
However, these upgrades also faced criticism, especially from Republicans, who considered them an extravagant expense during World War II.