U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., rejected using taxpayers’ dollars for the presidential ballroom in the White House designed by Donald Trump. “Hell no,” were her words after hearing Republicans in Congress may allocate the taxpayers’ money to pay for construction.
“Donald Trump’s been saying for months that the private donors are going to pay for this ballroom, but now your colleagues here in Congress on the Republican side of the aisle are saying that taxpayers are going to be on the hook for this?” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told Pablo Reports in the viral video. “Hell no.”
The congresswoman also called out the demolition of the White House’s historic East Wing as something that happened without any process.
“They demolished the historic East Wing of the White House without any sort of process, which is deeply shocking,” she said. “The idea that they’re going to build this palace on the taxpayer’s dime after they said that whatever billionaire they had a sweetheart deal with was going to foot the bill is not acceptable.”
President Donald Trump announced plans to build the palace’s ballroom in 2025 to replace the East Wing. Initially estimated at up to $200 million, the project’s costs have grown to $300 million or $400 million.
Administration stated that the main source of the project’s financing will be private donors, including Amazon, Apple, and Meta, through the Trust for the National Mall.
However, new leaks show that part of the renovation, or some underground works, may use taxpayers’ dollars. The project’s legality and the possibility of having anonymous donors remain questionable.
So far, there’s no information on what measures Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will take to stop the construction and the allocation of funds.
