White House Will Continue Ballroom Construction During Government Shutdown

The construction of the White House ballroom will continue amid the government shutdown, ABC News reports.

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 12:01 a.m. ET, the U.S. government shut down after Congress failed to agree on its new budget before the midnight deadline.

Hours later on Wednesday afternoon, a White House official said that despite the shutdown, “There will not be a stoppage of ballroom work when the shutdown occurs,” per ABC News.

According to a White House Office of Management and Budget memo, the ballroom’s construction is being funded by President Donald Trump and other private donors, meaning that it is not impacted by the federal budget negotiations that spurred the shutdown.

“Work will continue to be performed as the funds currently supporting are not tied to a FY26 enacted appropriation,” the White House official said, per the outlet. 

Trump first announced his plans for the ballroom on Thursday, July 31, sharing details and plans for the 90,000 square foot, $200 million East Wing addition.

Shortly after the construction was announced in August, a series of sources told PEOPLE that the Trump family is “bringing Mar-a-Lago to Washington” through the renovations.

The ballroom and Trump’s Palm Beach mansion, Mar-a-Lago, are both primarily characterized by gold details throughout — the chairs, the intricate details on the ceilings and the chandeliers.

The ballroom will serve as a hosting space for foreign dignitaries. It is expected to feature gold chandeliers, coffered ceilings and an expansive floor space, flanked by Greek columns and massive arched windows.

On Friday, Sept. 12, the president shared that his planned ballroom is becoming a reality and showed off the construction trucks heading onto the White House grounds.

“Right there, you see all the trucks. They just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they’ve been trying to get for about 150 years,” Trump, 79, said. “And it’s going to be a beauty. It’ll be an absolutely magnificent structure.”

The East Wing, as it exists today, was constructed in 1942, in part due to the need to add an underground bunker beneath the White House. Then in 1977, President Jimmy Carter’s wife, Rosalynn Carter started the tradition of the first lady keeping her offices in the wing, alongside the social secretary.

The current first lady, Melania Trump, and her staff will temporarily be relocated when construction on the new addition begins in September.

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The White House did not provide a target completion date for the project, but assured that the ballroom will open “long before the end of President Trump’s term.”