Trump shifts $352 million in Secret Service funding to pay for ballroom: insider

U..S. President Donald Trump at the site of ongoing construction of the planned White House ballroom in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

President Donald Trump and his allies have been claiming that his White House ballroom will be funded entirely by private donors, but the Washington Post, on June 16, reported that contractor estimates show it could cost taxpayers at least $300 million. Now, the Post is reporting that the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has "redirected $352 million that was intended in part for Secret Service training and recruitment to what it described as security measures at the White House, a government database shows." And a Post source, according to reporter Jonathan O'Connell, "tells us it's for the ballroom project."

O'Connell and Post colleagues Riley Beggin, Jarrell Dillard and Sarah Blaskey report, "The White House and the Office of Management and Budget did not specify the purpose of the unusually large shift in response to questions on Wednesday. But a person familiar with the Secret Service budget, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, told the Washington Post the funding was to help pay for a new White House East Wing that includes a large ballroom."

The "transfer of Secret Service funds," according to the Post reporters, "comes amid revelations that President Donald Trump's controversial ballroom project will rely more significantly on taxpayer money than the administration has publicly acknowledged."

"Trump has claimed repeatedly that the project will cost $400 million and has generally said it will be funded entirely by private donors," O'Connell, Beggin, Dillard and Blaskey note. "But this week, the Post reported that the contractor overseeing the work told the White House in March that the expected cost was $600 million, with more than half coming from taxpayers. The March budget estimates obtained by the Post show that $155 million for the project was expected to come from the Secret Service. Most of the rest of the public funding was projected to come from the White House Military Office."

The Post journalists continue, "The administration's budget office on Friday disclosed in a public database that it was redirecting $340.8 million and $10.8 million in Secret Service money for 'White House Security Measures.'"

The funds that have been redirected, according to the reporters, were included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 and were "intended to bolster the Secret Service after two attempts on the president's life."

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) are speaking out about the redirecting of U.S. Secret Service funds.

Collins told the Post, "I've said repeatedly that the president has promised only private donations would be used for the ballroom, and I believe he should keep that promise."

Merkley told the Post, "This funding was intended to pay Secret Service agents and ensure they have the technology and resources they need to keep individuals under their protection safe."

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