US President Donald Trump holds a rendering of the East Wing modernization as he speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on March 29, 2026. President Donald Trump said March 29 the US military was planning a large complex beneath the new ballroom he is building at the White House. "The military is building a massive complex under the ballroom, and that's under construction, and we're doing very well, so we're ahead of schedule," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, returning to White House after spending the weekend at his Mar-A-Lago residence. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans are pushing $1 billion in White House security upgrades for President Donald Trump’s ballroom project. A Republican bill released late Monday would give the U.S. Secret Service money for “security adjustments and upgrades” related to the ballroom. Trump and Republicans have been pushing the project since an incident last week at a media dinner where a man was charged with trying to assassinate the president. Republicans say the president needs the ballroom as a secure location to hold events. Democrats oppose funding the ballroom and The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued to stop it.
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