US President Donald Trump lashed out at a female reporter who questioned the soaring cost of his proposed White House ballroom project. The heated exchange unfolded on Tuesday, as Trump addressed reporters on the White House lawn before departing for China.
US President Donald Trump lashed out at a female reporter who questioned the soaring cost of his proposed White House ballroom project. The heated exchange unfolded on Tuesday, May 12, as Trump addressed reporters on the White House lawn before departing for China. Tensions escalated when a journalist asked why the estimated cost of the grand ballroom had reportedly doubled.
Clearly irritated, Trump defended the project while boasting about its progress. “We have a ballroom that’s under budget. It’s going up right here. I have doubled the size of it because we obviously need that. And we are right now on budget, under budget, and ahead of schedule,” he said.
The ambitious 90,000-square-foot presidential ballroom, planned within the White House grounds, is now projected to cost nearly $400 million, a massive jump from the original $200 million estimate. The wider proposal reportedly also includes a military operations complex and a Secret Service annex beneath the ballroom to serve as an emergency facility. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are said to be working on a separate $1 billion package linked to the broader project.
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When the female reporter pointed out that the price tag had risen alongside the ballroom’s size, Trump stepped closer and lashed out, saying, “I doubled the size of it, you dumb person!” He further added, “Doubled the size! You are not a smart person.”
The confrontation has added to a long list of Trump’s tense encounters with journalists, particularly female reporters.
Just last week, Trump publicly sparred with ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott near the Lincoln Memorial while discussing cleanup efforts around the National Mall Reflecting Pool.
Scott had questioned the timing of such projects amid international tensions and rising fuel prices, asking, “Mr President, you are here against the backdrop of the war in Iran, why focus on all these projects right now, especially with gas prices soaring?”
Trump responded aggressively, saying, “You know why? Because I wanna keep our country beautiful and safe,” before targeting the journalist directly with, “Such a stupid question that you asked.”
He then intensified the attack, adding, “This is one of the worst reporters. She’s with ABC fake news, and she’s a horror show … a question like that is a disgrace to our country.”
