On October 15, 2025, President Donald Trump welcomed 130 major donors, corporate leaders, and political allies to a lavish dinner at the White House, celebrating contributions to a new $250 million ballroom. The event, held in the East Room, featured a gourmet menu including beef Wellington and butterscotch ice cream, and showcased the White House’s ongoing modernization efforts.
Attendees included representatives from tech giants such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Palantir, as well as prominent figures like Harold Hamm, Stephen Schwarzman, and the Winklevoss twins. The gathering underscored Trump’s close ties to major corporate donors and highlighted the financial support fueling his White House projects.
The new ballroom is designed to replace the existing East Room, covering 90,000 square feet and accommodating up to 999 guests. Its construction includes bulletproof glass and donated materials from steel manufacturers and companies like Carrier. The project is entirely privately funded through the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit associated with the National Park Service, with over $20 million coming from YouTube’s settlement following Trump’s suspension post-January 6.
While the dinner celebrated the donors’ contributions, it drew criticism amid the ongoing government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025. Ethics experts and Democratic leaders questioned the optics of a lavish private event taking place while federal employees face furloughs and unpaid work. Concerns were also raised about whether the funding might be perceived as an effort to curry favor with influential corporate supporters.
In addition to the ballroom project, Trump used the dinner to announce plans for a new memorial arch at the Arlington Memorial Bridge, featuring a Lady Liberty statue. He thanked donors for their support and emphasized the role of the ballroom and other projects in enhancing the White House’s legacy and functionality.
Although the ballroom project has not yet been approved by federal planning commissions, the White House maintains that presidential authority exempts it from standard federal approvals. The event highlighted Trump’s focus on legacy-building initiatives and reinforced his close engagement with the business community during his second term.
The juxtaposition of the opulent dinner with ongoing federal shutdown challenges has sparked debate over priorities, public perception, and ethical considerations for leadership. While supporters hail the event as a symbol of achievement and private-sector support, critics see it as a disconnect between lavish celebrations and the realities faced by federal workers and the American public.
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