Investor Kevin O'Leary waded into the controversy over President Trump's proposed White House ballroom on Wednesday, telling Fox News he sees no valid reason for the pushback. "My lobbyist over here said the taxpayers are not paying for it. So then, why not let him have a ballroom?" O'Leary said at the Capitol. "I don't get it."
O'Leary, a Canadian businessman and former host of ABC's "Shark Tank," framed the 90,000-square-foot ballroom as a necessary showcase for American prestige. "The British do a great job of pomp and circumstance. We don't," he said. "Let's get that ballroom fired up and show the world, you know, the American dream. That's what it is."
Trump's Security Argument Gains Urgency
Trump has long argued the ballroom is essential for hosting large state events indoors, replacing the outdoor tents currently used. But he has increasingly cast the project as a national security imperative, pointing to upgrades like a revamped military bunker and advanced protective features. "It's drone-proof. It's bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom. That's why Secret Service, that's why the military are demanding it," Trump told reporters after a gunman rushed the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday.
The president added, "They wanted the ballroom for 150 years for lots of different reasons, but today is a little bit different because today we need levels of security that nobody has ever seen before." Authorities charged 31-year-old Cole Allen with attempting to assassinate Trump and other firearm offenses; no one was injured. Allen is due in federal court Thursday for a detention hearing. The incident has intensified scrutiny of security at large Washington gatherings, with O'Leary questioning whether the WHCA dinner can survive in its current form. "I always hand it to the Secret Service on this because, I mean, it's a moment's notice," he said. "No one was hurt, thank goodness. I think there'll be a lot of investigations on that stuff. But I also wonder about long-term if that dinner is going to survive because providing the security for 2,600 people is next to impossible."
Legal and Legislative Battles Intensify
Construction on the ballroom remains stalled after a federal judge ruled Trump lacked authority to proceed without congressional approval, siding with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Justice Department has urged the group to drop its lawsuit following the WHCA dinner shooting, but the preservation group has refused. Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is circulating a proposal to authorize up to $400 million in taxpayer funding for the project, offset by national park user fees and customs revenue. This marks a shift from Trump's earlier claim that the ballroom would be funded almost entirely by private donations.
The proposal has drawn mixed reactions on Capitol Hill. "Is it good politics to spend taxpayer dollars on a ballroom right before the election? Absolutely not," one anonymous Republican senator told The Hill, reflecting internal GOP unease. Democrats have seized on the plan to attack the GOP on affordability, while broader economic pressures, including March inflation hitting 3.5% amid the Iran conflict, add to the political stakes. Rising prices are stoking pressure on Trump as the election approaches, making the ballroom's fate a flashpoint in the larger debate over spending and priorities.
The ballroom controversy is part of a chaotic week in Washington that also included King Charles's visit and House turmoil. As legal and legislative battles unfold, O'Leary's comments underscore the deepening partisan divide over a project the president insists is both symbolic and security-driven.
