Hillary Clinton’s latest foray into the political conversation is a reminder that some habits, once formed, never really fade. The former secretary of state took aim at President Trump’s newly announced White House grand ballroom project — a 90,000-square-foot, 650-seat addition to the executive mansion — by suggesting it was a frivolous, taxpayer-funded vanity project at a time when Americans are still struggling with grocery prices.
The problem? That’s not true. Not even close.
BREAKING: @PressSec announces the construction of a new 90,000 sq ft ballroom at the White House — with construction to begin in September.
Visit https://t.co/Nq7Vqlw3HO for more. pic.twitter.com/XadWWxOGON
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 31, 2025
As White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made clear during the same briefing where the details were unveiled, the $200 million ballroom will be funded entirely by private donations. Trump himself and a group of other donors have pledged to cover the full cost. The administration’s official Rapid Response 47 account posted the same information on July 31: “Fully funded by President Trump and other private donors — not taxpayers.”
Even Snopes, hardly a refuge of Trump-friendly fact-checking, reviewed the claim and found no credible evidence that taxpayer dollars would be used. That didn’t stop Clinton from running with the false narrative, presumably confident that it would resonate with her audience whether or not it held up under scrutiny.
Most Americans are worried about the cost of groceries.
Meanwhile, Trump is spending $200 million of taxpayers’ money to build a golden ballroom. pic.twitter.com/gndXA1XK3m
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 7, 2025
The ballroom, designed by Washington-based McCrery Architects, will dramatically expand the White House’s hosting capabilities, far surpassing the East Room’s 200-person seated limit. Trump has been meeting with various departments to finalize plans, with the goal of finishing the project well before his current term ends.
Criticism of the plan was inevitable — any large-scale White House project invites political sniping — but Clinton’s framing of the issue relied on an easily debunked premise. It’s part of a long pattern for the former first lady and two-time presidential candidate, whose public record is dotted with both grand, consequential falsehoods and smaller, routine misstatements that just happen to serve her political purposes.
Can those in the Community notes community please vote on this proposed Community note so we can put this serial liar in her place? 😡
Of course she turns off replies and you know why. But she can’t turn off Community Notes. https://t.co/qZoo7pfzAv pic.twitter.com/pOJWMEDZOT— AgentMom ✝️ 🇺🇸 (@strudalsmom) August 7, 2025
