Democrats accuse Trump of being out of touch with Americans' problems over White House ballroom project
Kyiv • UNN
Democrats criticize Trump for a $400 million ballroom project. The President maintains that the construction will be funded by private donors.
The U.S. Democratic Party has criticized President Donald Trump's plans to build a White House ballroom costing approximately $400 million, stating that the project demonstrates how out of touch Republicans are with the economic problems of Americans. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
The debate intensified as Congress prepares for a potential vote on a presidential security funding package, which could include hundreds of millions of dollars for the renovation of the White House complex.
Democrats emphasize that Americans are currently more concerned about rising prices for fuel, electricity, medical services, and rent.
"It's a perfect storm of ugliness,"
Democratic congressional candidate Brian Poindexter called the ballroom a "vanity project" that does not meet the needs of voters.
"Most of the people I hope to serve... are worried about food, utilities, paying rent,"
Some Republicans also criticized the timing of the project
Some Republicans supported the idea of renovating the White House, stating that the ballroom is a necessary upgrade to the historic building and is unrelated to the economic situation.
At the same time, Republican Senator Thom Tillis stated that discussing such a project against the backdrop of economic problems is a poor decision ahead of the congressional elections.
"We are talking about building a ballroom while trying to stabilize the economic situation. The timing is bad,"
The White House cited security necessity for the project
The Trump administration claims that the funding is linked to strengthening presidential security and responding to the rise in political violence in the U.S.
Trump himself previously stated that the ballroom would not cost taxpayers "a single cent," as it would be funded through private donations and his own money. According to the president, about $300 million has already been raised.
Republicans are also pushing a bill to allocate about $1 billion for presidential security, of which approximately $400 million could be directed to the White House complex. A Senate vote is expected next week.