Donald Trump has accused former presidents of not taking care of the White House – and claims his renovations have ensured the iconic residence is now in better shape than when construction began in 1792.
Trump, 80, unleashed the blistering attack on his predecessors on Sunday – as he shared pictures of a column that was spruced up.
“The White House was in very bad condition, both inside and out,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Frankly, it was a “dump!” Past Presidents did not take care of it. I love renovating it during my spare time, which is not much.”
Trump then hailed the Department of the Interior, which is spearheaded by Doug Burgum, and contractors, saying they are doing a “fantastic job.”
“The exterior ‘skin’ of the Building was practically falling off!” Trump claimed.
“It is now in better shape than when built in 1792. Such an Honor to have the privilege of saving this Great Structure!
“More time without renovation would have destroyed our beloved White House.”
Trump’s White House renovations plans have seen the East Wing bulldozed to make way for a lavish ballroom – a project that got underway in September 2025 and is expected to be completed before the end of the commander-in-chief’s second term.
The ballroom will be able to hold between 900 and 999 people – a 40% increase from the plans announced in July last year.
At the time, the White House said it would fit 650 people at 90,000 square feet.
When the project was announced, the ballroom was initially expected to cost $200 million, but the amount has since rocketed to around $600 million, according to contracts and planning documents seen by the Washington Post.
Trump has shared what are the first interior renderings of his lavish project, which he has previously described as his “gift to the United States of America.” “Massively expensive, but free of charge to the American taxpayer – on budget, and ahead of schedule!” he wrote on Saturday.
President Trump has consistently claimed that the ballroom is being funded by himself and donors.
“There’s not one dime of government money going into the ballroom,” he previously told reporters.
But a Republican proposal calling for $1 billion for Secret Service security updates sparked a political firestorm in Congress – before it was removed from a broader funding package by the Senate’s parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough.
Trump says the ballroom’s side walls will be supported by “impenetrable steel”and have “high grade bulletproof glass.”
“The glass is approximately 4 inches thick, and yet it’s amazing,” he said.
“You can see through it as though it didn’t exist, and it can stop just about anything.”
Its roof will be flat and there will be no air conditioning inside, Trump said.
“We don’t want anything coming down through the pipes,” he explained.
“We don’t want to have anything having to do with air or air quality or any problems playing with the air… All of the equipment is inside of the building, and that’s for safety reasons.”
Trump described the ballroom’s roof as a “barrier” and a “shield”, revealing it will be home to a drone port “set up for unlimited numbers of drones.”
A six-storey deep military complex is being built underneath the ballroom, which would essentially replace the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, which was constructed in 1942.
But the demolition of the East Wing is just one White House renovation project Trump is embarking upon.
The West Wing will also see a revamp as the gray and brown pavers are being swapped for a black granite walkway.
The North Portico entrance is being revamped and the Rose Garden was paved over last year.
Work on the North Portico entrance began in June and is set to be completed before China’s President Xi visits the White House later this month.
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