Trump administration redirects $352 million in Secret Service funds to White House ballroom project

The Trump administration has redirected $352 million in Secret Service funds for "White House Security Measures," which critics say is a backdoor to fund a controversial ballroom project. President Trump has insisted the project, now estimated to cost $600 million, would be privately funded. The move follows Congress's rejection of a $1 billion request for the project and has drawn criticism from lawmakers in both parties.

Secret Service funding redirection

• ▪The Trump administration's budget office has redirected approximately $352 million in funds originally intended for the Secret Service.
• ▪The funds were drawn from the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a Republican spending package passed in July of the previous year.
• ▪The original law stipulated the funds were for Secret Service personnel, training, technology, and bonuses, not construction.
• ▪The redirected funds are officially designated for "White House Security Measures."

White House ballroom project scope

• ▪The project, officially the "East Wing Modernization Project," involves building a ballroom on the site of the demolished White House East Wing.
• ▪The White House states the project includes security features like drone-proof structures, bomb shelters, and a medical facility.

Court rulings on construction

• ▪In March, a federal judge ordered a halt to the project's above-ground construction, but a D.C. Circuit court stayed the order in April.
• ▪The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the administration, arguing it bypassed review processes in demolishing the East Wing.

Recent White House security threats

• ▪The White House has cited recent security threats, including a foiled plot against a UFC event and a gunman at the WHCA dinner, as justification for the project.
• ▪After an incident at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, DHS and Secret Service leaders requested $1 billion for security upgrades, including for the East Wing project.

Project cost estimates

• ▪A contractor's estimate in March put the project's total cost at $600 million, with more than half potentially coming from taxpayers.
• ▪The project was announced in July 2025 with an estimated cost of $200 million, which later doubled to $400 million.

Private versus taxpayer funding

• ▪A contractor's budget plans included $155 million from the Secret Service and $149 million from the White House Military Office.
• ▪Congress recently rejected a $1 billion funding request from the administration for the project.
• ▪President Trump has repeatedly claimed the ballroom project would be funded entirely by private donations, not taxpayer money.
• ▪Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon accused the administration of using a "smoke and mirrors tactic" to fund a "vanity project."

6 sources