Trump’s Construction Spree Could Cost $1 Billion

“President Trump has repeatedly promised the American public that his White House ballroom project will not cost taxpayers ‘one dime,’ saying it will be completely funded by him and private donors as a ‘gift’ to the United States,” the New York Times reports.

“He has claimed he is raising so much money for his ballroom that he could use surplus funds to finance a 250-foot Triumphal Arch that he is commissioning in Washington. And he has said that private donors will help foot the bill for other projects in his construction spree, perhaps the most expansive in the history of the presidency.”

“Yet a New York Times analysis shows there will be significant taxpayer expense associated with all of Mr. Trump’s building and renovation initiatives. The 18 major construction projects Mr. Trump has undertaken during his second term come with a potential cost of more than $1 billion.”

Mother Jones: Trump’s gilded White House makeover is all about power.