The construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom may be significantly less advanced than the administration has suggested, with project documents and construction experts offering a different picture of its progress.
Clark, the company handling the project, is set to receive monthly payments based on the percentage of work completed. Eight construction specialists consulted by The Post said this method is standard for assessing progress on major construction projects, particularly when costs are measured against the overall work.
Using the administration’s own claim that the ballroom alone will cost about $400 million, the project would appear to be only around halfway complete based on the amount of money spent.
The administration has, however, distinguished between the ballroom and additional security infrastructure associated with the wider project. Officials have acknowledged that some of those security upgrades will be funded by the Secret Service and the military.
A March budget estimate by Clark put the total cost of the broader project at approximately $600 million, with half expected to come from taxpayers.
The administration made a similar distinction in a recent filing asking the US Supreme Court to permit construction to continue. It described the wider development as including a secure underground bunker while maintaining that the ballroom itself was privately funded.
“The Project is on time and under budget, and the ballroom is funded with approximately $400 million in private donations … zero taxpayer dollars are needed or required,” the administration stated.
However, when measured against the project’s planned timeline, construction appears to be about 30 per cent complete.
According to a declaration by Fisher, work began in late October 2025 and is scheduled to be completed in August 2028. That means about 10 months of a planned 34-month construction period had elapsed.
Questions have also emerged over whether the design of the East Wing has been finalised, as Trump continues to make changes to the project, according to three people familiar with the discussions.
Some of the alterations reportedly concern the exterior of the ballroom. New renderings submitted to the Supreme Court this month showed golden seals that Trump selected for the building’s exterior. A staircase that had appeared in earlier designs before being removed has also been restored.
One person familiar with the development disputed the administration’s suggestion that the construction was nearly 65 per cent complete.
“I’m not sure they’re 65 percent complete with designing the ballroom,” the person said, mocking the administration’s claims.
“The ballroom continues to undergo significant changes to the base design, even while construction is ongoing.”
