President Donald Trump said Friday that the new White House ballroom is expected to open in September 2028, marking the first time the president has publicly attached a target completion date to the controversial expansion project.
Trump announced the timeline in a post on Truth Social while sharing a photo of himself walking alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping during his trip to Beijing this week.
“China has a Ballroom, and so should the U.S.A.! It’s under construction, ahead of schedule, and will be the finest facility of its kind anywhere in the U.S.A.,” Trump wrote.
“Thank you for all the support I have been given in getting this project going. Scheduled opening will be around September of 2028,” he added.
The planned opening would come just months before the end of Trump’s second term in office.
Construction crews officially began work on the project’s ground floor this week as the administration pushes forward with what Trump has framed as a major modernization and prestige upgrade for the White House complex.
The ballroom project has generated significant backlash from critics after the administration approved demolition of the White House East Wing to clear space for the new structure. Supporters, meanwhile, have argued the addition would provide the White House with a large-scale event venue comparable to facilities used by other world leaders and foreign governments.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to foreign state properties — including China’s — while defending the project, arguing the United States should have a similarly grand ceremonial space for official events and state functions.
The administration’s plans also appear to be moving through Congress. On Tuesday, the White House submitted a spending proposal to Senate Republicans outlining how $1 billion earmarked for ballroom-related security measures would be used. The funding language was included in a budget reconciliation package released last week by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
The project remains one of the most ambitious physical changes to the White House complex in decades.
