At a White House state dinner for President Xi Jinping, President Trump unexpectedly invited guests to tour the construction site of a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom he said is a year from completion. Trump estimated the cost at $400 million; a contractor put it closer to $600 million, and reporting suggests taxpayers could shoulder a sizable share. The project has faced legal challenges after demolition of part of the East Wing and drawn scrutiny because secure facilities and an expanded bunker lie beneath the site. High-profile political and tech figures attended the dinner, which featured a menu with "subtle Chinese influence" and performances by a tenor and military ensembles.
Trump Invites Xi And Guests On First Tour Of Controversial New White House Ballroom
Donald Trump couldn't help but offer guests at his state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping a first-ever tour of his ballroom construction site (Getty Images)
At a White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Donald Trump surprised attendees by inviting them to tour the construction site of a much-discussed new ballroom — a space the administration has touted as a marquee project.
Speaking from the East Room, Trump paused his prepared remarks and offered what he called a "special treat" for Xi and First Lady Liyuan Peng, as well as the assembled guests.
'Anybody [who] wants to walk into a construction site that's nice and clean and sparkly, it's our honor to have you do so,' Trump told his dinner guests Thursday when boasting about his massive, golden ballroom (AFP via Getty Images)
"And if I could go off script just for a second... But as a special treat in honor of President Xi and Madame [Liyuan] Peng, I'd like to invite everyone in the room to visit through that beautiful curtain in the back," Trump said, later adding, "You'll be the first people to step foot on that, and we'll do that maybe after we're finished with the entertainment tonight. Anybody who wants to walk into a construction site that's nice and clean and sparkly, it's our honor to have you do so."
Plans, Cost Estimates And Controversy
The planned ballroom is described by supporters as a 90,000-square-foot gilded venue that would seat roughly 650 people — a substantial increase from the roughly 200 seats of the East Room. Trump has publicly estimated construction costs at about $400 million and said he and private donors would cover the expense. A contractor, however, informed the administration that the project could cost closer to $600 million, and reporting in June indicated that at least half of that total might ultimately fall to taxpayers.
The project has also faced legal challenges over the administration's decision to remove parts of the East Wing last October to make way for the new ballroom. The Supreme Court recently allowed construction to proceed for the time being while litigation continues.
Trump was photographed, with makeup caked on his left hand used to cover bruising, next to first lady Melania Trump while waiting to greet Xi and his wife Liyuan Peng at the White House ahead of the dinner (AFP via Getty Images)
Security Concerns
Compounding the debate are plans to expand secure facilities beneath the East Wing. Court filings from the administration note a bunker dating to 1942, and say that bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility would be added during construction. Those details prompted questions about the optics and security implications of inviting foreign officials to tour the site.
Observers reacted on social media: Reuters journalist Charlie Szymanski wrote, "Of the security bunker? Seems suboptimal," while others used irony to question a guided tour of highly secure facilities by representatives of an adversarial nation.
Some notable names on the dinner guest included Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Getty Images)
Guests, Menu And Entertainment
The official U.S. and Chinese delegations attended the dinner. Notable American attendees included First Lady Melania Trump and several prominent political and technology figures reported to be present, such as JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg.
Photographs from the evening showed the president standing beside the first lady while awaiting the Chinese delegation; some observers noted makeup on Trump's left hand that the White House said is used to conceal bruising, which the administration attributed to frequent handshaking and aspirin use.
Several of America's tech leaders, such as SpaceX's Elon Musk, OpenAI's Sam Altman and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, were also in attendance Thursday night (AFP via Getty Images)
Melania Trump led preparations for the dinner, which the White House said featured a menu with a "subtle Chinese influence," including sesame-crusted sea bass and braised baby bok choy. Entertainment included tenor Christopher Macchio and performances by military ensembles.
Speaking through an interpreter, President Xi thanked the Trumps for their "gracious hospitality and thoughtful arrangements," saying they made his delegation feel "truly at home," and extended greetings to Americans who support stronger U.S.-China ties.
The invitation to tour the ballroom construction underscored ongoing tensions between ceremony, public relations and national security concerns as the project — and the legal and budgetary questions around it — continue to unfold.
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