By Jeff Mason and Gram Slattery
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House is looking for more donors to help fund President Donald Trump’s $300 million ballroom.
The president’s team has released a list of companies and wealthy individuals who have pledged to contribute to the project’s cost, but it has not said how much each is giving or specified how much Trump himself intends to pony up.
The project had received nearly $200 million in pledged contributions as of last week, according to a White House official.
The president said on Thursday he intended to give millions of dollars. “I’ll donate whatever’s needed,” he said.
Corporations including Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Alphabet’s Google, as well as individuals such as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, have agreed to help pay for the ballroom, according to the White House.
“Fundraising has not stopped,” the White House official told Reuters.
Last week, Trump addressed roughly three dozen major donors and corporate leaders at a dinner in the East Room of the White House to highlight progress on the project.
“We have a lot of legends in the room tonight, and that’s why we’re here to celebrate you, because you gave,” Trump told them.
The cost for the 90,000-square-foot addition has grown from Trump’s initial $200 million estimate to $300 million this week, as demolition workers take down the entire East Wing, which held offices for the first lady and other staff. The demolition has prompted outrage from Democrats and others who were shocked at seeing part of the historic building turned to rubble.
The Department of the Interior was taking the lead on what to do with the rubble, the official said, adding he was not aware of any plans to sell pieces of demolished walls as souvenirs.
The official said demolition work could be completed in the coming days. “The goal is as soon as possible,” he said.
The White House on Thursday said it had been transparent about the project despite concern expressed by critics that it did not go through a proper review process before tearing down the East Wing. Trump, when he announced the project in July, said it would not interfere with the existing structure.
“The president has been incredibly transparent,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told a briefing. “With any construction project there are changes over time as you assess what the project is going to look like, and we’ll continue to keep you apprised of all of those changes, but just trust the process.”
(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Gram Slattery in WashingtonEditing by Colleen Jenkins and Matthew Lewis)
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