Trump Pushes $600 Million White House Ballroom as 250-Foot Arch Nears Excavation

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 14

$600 million plans for a White House ballroom have expanded into a 1,000-seat complex atop a six-storey bunker, with construction resumed after the Supreme Court allowed work to continue.
Trump has recast the project from a donor-funded 650-seat ballroom into what he called a national security structure, with courts hearing claims that presidential building powers face virtually no legal check.
A 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle is also advancing, despite National Park Service findings it would harm historic sites and a lawsuit from Vietnam veterans over its impact near Arlington National Cemetery.
Both projects were fast-tracked despite tens of thousands of public objections, fitting a broader push to weaken historic-preservation reviews and narrow consultation requirements for tribes and the public.
That building drive now stretches across Washington, where a White House renovation list tops $900 million and separate beautification projects have already spent tens of millions on fountains, gilding and monuments.