During a White House dinner for 130 financial backers Wednesday, President Trump announced plans to build a triumphal arch monument for America’s 250th birthday.
The arch, similar in architecture to the French Arc De Triumph, is set to be located near the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
Showing a scale model of the project to donors, allies and representatives of major companies, Trump stated “Small, medium and large. I happen to pick the large one, why aren’t you shocked?” Referring to the model.
“That’s Lady Liberty up top!” he added, pointing to the statue that will stand on top of the arch.
? WOW! President Trump just showed off to the entire room his plans to build a triumphal arch monument for America's 250th birthday – set to be located near the Arlington Memorial Bridge
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 16, 2025
"Small, medium and large. I happen to pick the large one, why aren't you shocked?" ?… pic.twitter.com/riYxDncroz
Trump also revealed that he is closely overseeing construction of a new White House ballroom to ensure it is in keeping with the current architecture of the building.
He revealed that he has “Zero zoning conditions,” and that building can begin immediately.
“I said, you got to be kidding. You mean I can actually do something that I really want?” Trump quipped, explaining “Because I’m used to sitting with heads of community boards and politicians.”
“With that came great responsibility,” Trump urged, adding “I was watching them very carefully, and that’s what we did…It’s four sides of glass, beautiful glass, totally appropriate in color and in window shape and everything else with the White House moldings.”
“So it’s going to be very much in keeping with the White House. You know, a new thing is you build a super modern building next to an old-fashioned building. And I think that’s good, but I don’t have the courage to do that with the White House. It’s good for a lot of places. It’s not good. It’s not good for here,” he further elaborated.
? BREAKING: President Trump reveals that he is VERY CLOSELY monitoring the self-funded White House ballroom construction to match the current architecture
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 16, 2025
POTUS says he was told he has "ZERO ZONING CONDITIONS" and could start building it immediately – "with that came great… pic.twitter.com/v9Jhm5dbUY
The massive 90,000-square-foot ballroom will be attached to the East Wing of the White House, and is projected to be completed well before the end of his term in 2029.
The planned $250 million project will be funded by both President Trump and other private donors, some of whom were present at last night’s gathering.
“To me, there’s nothing like the White House,” Trump said, later adding, “It’s just a special place so we have to take care of it.”
The Ballroom will eliminate the need for temporary tents on the South Lawn during state dinners and other major functions—tents that Trump has long criticized as “unsightly” and impractical during inclement weather.
At one point during his speech, Trump related how he negotiated with a contractor he hired to excavate the grounds, claiming he bartered down from a $3 million price tag to $2 million.
The President stated, “He was in for $3.2 million. I said, ‘Can you do it for $1.5M?’ ‘No, I can’t do that sir, I can’t!’ I said, ‘This is the excavation of the WHITE HOUSE grounds for what will be one of the best, beautiful ballrooms in the world!'”
“‘Sir, I can’t, I can’t!’ So, I got him down to $2 million – so it’s not terrible!” Trump further noted, adding “I give out the contracts myself. We just gave out the excavation contract.”
? JUST IN: President Trump went full ART OF THE DEAL on a contractor he hired to excavate the grounds for the new White House ballroom
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 16, 2025
He got them down from $3 million to $2 MILLION!
"He was in for $3.2 million. I said, 'Can you do it for $1.5M?' 'No, I can't do that sir, I… pic.twitter.com/8xwdduBBU7
Trump also entertained the room by mocking “Too Late” Jerome Powell, stating “I’m very good at building things on time. You’re not going to see, like the Fed, where they’re up to $4B or something, to build some walls. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. This guy, he’s too late!”
“He should have been too late with that one, not done it! It didn’t need to be done. He could have painted the ceilings,” Trump added.
“They ripped down a gorgeous ceiling like this. And then they said, we have a problem. Now we have to put one up. How do you do a ceiling like this? And they’re way over budget.” he said.
? JUST NOW: President Trump has the whole room CRACKING UP after he mocks "Too Late" Jerome Powell ?
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 15, 2025
On his new WH ballroom: "I'm VERY good at building things on time. You're not going to see, like the Fed, where they're up to $4B or something, to build some walls. It's the… pic.twitter.com/xoRNpLUswm
Trump opened the curtains to the ballroom to show those in attendance and noted “It’s gonna be demolished. Everything out there is coming down and we’re replacing it with one of the most BEAUTIFUL ballrooms you’ve ever seen.”
? JUST IN: President Trump just opened the curtains to the Trump-funded White House BALLROOM
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 15, 2025
"It's gonna be demolished. Everything out there is coming down and we're replacing it with one of the most BEAUTIFUL ballrooms you've ever seen."
47 is renewing the White House – ZERO… pic.twitter.com/BI9WF6Ow7U
The President is overseeing a series of extensive renovations at The White House aimed at reshaping the iconic residence in his distinctive style.
In addition to the ballroom, the Oval Office has been updated with gold embellishments on the walls and ceiling trim, reflecting Trump’s preference for maximalist decor.
The Rose Garden has been transformed by replacing its lawn with a cement patio, altering the traditional outdoor space.
The projects are being undertaken to leave a “distinctive imprint” on the White House, modernize outdated sections, and evoke the opulent aesthetic of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to sources familiar with the plans.
Trump has described the initiatives as the largest White House overhaul in over a century, driven by his background in construction and desire to enhance the property’s grandeur.
The full speech from last night is below:
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