By
Margaret Hartmann,
senior editor for Intelligencer who has worked at New York since 2012
Who exactly is paying for the White House ballroom? That seems like something we should have had a clear answer on before the East Wing was reduced to a pile of rubble, but the plan has been shockingly difficult to nail down — until now.
One year ago, the president announced we were getting a ballroom “compliments of a man known as Donald J. Trump.” A month later, the White House said the project would actually be paid for by “President Trump and other patriot donors.” We know dozens of companies and individuals — including many that have business with the government — have contributed to the project. But the contract governing ballroom contributions shields donors’ identities. It’s unclear if Trump has personally contributed anything beyond the $24.5 million he won in a YouTube settlement.
