Does the US benefit from tariffs?
President Donald Trump has argued that tariffs will increase revenue for the US government, but is that really happening?
President Donald Trump’s renovation to the White House is marching.
On Thursday, July 31st, the White House announced plans to begin construction in September with a $200 million ballroom in the eastern part of the mansion.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the new “naturally designed and carefully crafted” 90,000-square-foot ballroom will be a “very necessary and exquisite addition” to host a major event at the White House complex.
The new ballroom, which is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2029, is one of several changes the president has announced in the building that was centuries old. So far, this is what the Trump administration has announced.
200 million dollar ballroom
The ballroom, scheduled for by 2029, will accommodate 650 people, more than 200 people, than the White House East Room, where the president has historically had a large reception.
Trump frequently complains that the White House doesn’t have a large ballroom suitable for entertainment.
“President Trump and other donors have generously committed to donating the funds needed to build this $200 million structure,” Leavitt said at a July 31 briefing.
New Flag Pole
Back in June, one on the north grass and one on the south grass of the White House, two 88-foot-high flagpole were installed after Trump desperately needed him and he said he would pay for himself.
“How are you guys?” Trump told reporters after the flag reached one of the poles.
“This is a gift from me, something I’ve always missed from this epic place,” Trump said in a social media post. “Hopefully they’ll be on both sides of the White House for years to come!”
Stone rose garden
Another change Trump has begun to implement is the renovation of the iconic White House Rose Garden.
Construction crews broke in the outdoor area in June after Trump ordered major modifications, including Trump replacing grass with gravel.
In a previous interview, the president said he wanted to pave the area for ease of visitors, particularly for heeled footwear.
“What was happening is that there should be an event. Every event you have, it’s wet,” Trump told “Laura Ingraham” in March on Fox News. “It’s wet… And the woman with high heels, it’s just too much.”
Gold, gold, other gold
Perhaps the most visible changes made by the President have tracked his stylistic choices over the years: his preference for money. More than six months after returning to the White House, Trump’s oval office became a golden room.
As USA Today previously reported, a golden applique with fireplaces, golden mirrors, ornate Rococo style 18th and 19th century dessert stands and French vases sitting in the mantle. The wall is a chokka block with a painting of the former president in a former ornate gold frame. The cabinet room is equipped with a new ceiling medallion and a grandfather’s watch.
The golden change in the room was very different from former President Joe Biden’s oval office, with a more sparse golden touch on the wall.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Erin Mansfield, USA Today, Savanna Kucha, Joey Garrison contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA Today. Contact him at fernando.cervantes @gannett.com and follow him at x @fern_cerv_.
