Trump using $500M no-bid contract to build his White House ballroom

Administration Trump using $500M no-bid contract to build his White House ballroom Comments: by Mallory Wilson - 06/30/26 11:12 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Mallory Wilson - 06/30/26 11:12 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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The White House gave a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million for the construction of the East Wing ballroom, The Washington Post reported.

The contract for the project was routed through the Executive Residence, which is exempt from rules that require federal agencies to get competitive bids and publicly share the details of the contract, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by the Post.

The Hill has not independently verified the report.

Virginia-based Clark Construction was awarded the contract, and President Trump was directly involved in some cost negotiations for the ballroom, the outlet reported.

Clark charged a 3 percent profit for the early work done on the East Wing, which is typical for large government construction projects, but still stands to make tens of millions of dollars from the project, according to the Post.

The Hill has reached out to the White House and Clark Construction for comment.

The project is expected to cost $600 million and include a ballroom that will fit up to 1,000 guests, a drone port on top and a military facility underneath, the president has said.

Despite court battles to stop it, the White House has pushed forward with the project, saying it’s needed for security reasons. Last month, the president requested $1 billion from Congress for security upgrades pertaining to the ballroom after saying the project would not be funded by taxpayers.

The Post has previously reported that more than half of the project is being funded by taxpayers.

The ballroom project was just the first of many renovation and beautification projects that the president had vowed to undertake in Washington. He also redid several fountains and parks throughout the district and is planning a 250-foot triumphal arch.

He also redid the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, repainting the bottom and fixing leaks. The project has recently been scrutinized for already peeling paint and the growth of algae, two issues that Trump had blamed on vandals.

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