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While President Donald Trump claimed that he and private donors are footing the bill for his White House ballroom, his critics are saying those truly on the hook for the project lies in a “weird coincidence.” The White House pegged the cost of the ballroom at $250 million. Meanwhile, The New York Times reported Tuesday that Trump is seeking $230 million from the Justice Department as compensation for the federal investigations that were launched against him. Trump critics noticed the $20 million difference between the lawsuit and the ballroom cost, saying that the American taxpayers, not Trump and private donors, are actually going to pay for the White House addition. “Weird how the ballroom is costing $250M and Trump is trying to extort the DOJ for $230M — roundabout way to make taxpayers dance," tweeted the X account Outspoken, who has 126,000 followers on the social media platform. “Trump’s ballroom is over budget and will now cost $250 million. Trump is also asking his own DOJ to pay him a ‘settlement’ of $230 million for the cases against him when he was just an indicted criminal candidate. Weird coincidence, right? And where is Congress? Nowhere,” added the X account @adgirlMM, who has nearly 87,000 followers. Ryan Shead, a Trump critic with nearly 140,000 followers on X, also made the connection. “Make no mistake: That’s $230 million out of taxpayer dollars. This is what happens when you give a felon and business fraud unquestioned power and access. They rob you blind then blame it on the people who tried to prevent it,” Shead tweeted. “The White House is the People’s house, not a tax loophole for Trump. Let’s not forget that.” Construction started this week on the $250 million ballroom that Trump is adding to the White House as construction crews began tearing down the facade of the East Wing, where the new space is being built. Trump said on social media that the ballroom won’t cost taxpayers a dime because it is being privately funded by “many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.” Justice Department regulations allow for the deputy attorney general to sign off on the $230 million settlement Trump is seeking. That office is occupied by Todd Blanche, who worked for Trump in the private sector and famously represented him during his 2024 “hush money” trial in New York City. Stanley Woodward Jr., who heads the department’s civil division and has represented a number of other MAGA figures, including FBI Director Kash Patel, is also permitted to authorize a payment. Trump’s demand reportedly came in the form of two administrative claims that could be heard by a court if ignored or declined by the DOJ. However, that’s unlikely considering the president is “already negotiating, in essence, with his subordinates,” according to The Times, citing sources familiar with the matter. Trump’s claims were filed in 2023 and 2024. The first one reportedly says that, among other things, his rights were violated when the FBI and a special counsel investigated potential links between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russian interlopers. The second complaint alleges the FBI and the DOJ violated his privacy when his Mar-a-Lago estate was searched for classified documents in 2022. It also accuses the DOJ of malicious prosecution in charging him with mishandling the sensitive records.
