An analyst has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to build a new White House ballroom, calling the entire project corrupt and funded through shady private donations. He said it should make Americans angry, comparing it to “bringing a fistful of cash to a brothel.”
Jonathan Chait from The Atlantic wrote that by any traditional political standard, this would be considered a huge scandal. He compared it to controversies from about ten years ago involving the Clinton Foundation, but argued that Trump’s ballroom project is on a completely different level.
Chait explained that what makes Trump’s situation worse is how openly he mixes personal gain with politics. Instead of hiding his intentions, Trump’s decisions to reward friends and punish enemies are done right in public. “If donating to a Clinton charity was like buying your date dinner to impress them,” Chait said, “then donating to Trump’s project is like walking straight into a brothel with cash in hand.”
He reminded readers that when former President George W. Bush left office, he created a foundation to help with disaster relief, public health, and other positive causes. In contrast, the Clinton Foundation became controversial because some people thought donors might have been trying to gain political favor with Hillary Clinton, who was widely expected to run for president later.
But according to Chait, Trump’s ballroom plan—expected to cost over $300 million—takes that kind of corruption even further. Instead of being subtle, he’s openly using his position to gather private money for a luxurious project that benefits himself and his circle.
Chait also pointed out how some major media outlets, including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, have described the ballroom plans as reasonable improvements to the White House. He said he understands why mainstream journalists struggle to describe Trump’s behavior properly—because he breaks so many political norms that it’s hard to measure him by normal standards.
However, he said that doesn’t mean people should praise Trump for what he called “normal-size scandals.” Instead of focusing on whether the ballroom is needed, people should be more concerned about the way it’s being funded and the message it sends about corruption and favoritism in government.
Chait concluded that those defending Trump’s plan are the ones who have truly lost perspective—not the critics who are calling it out. He warned that tearing down the East Wing of the White House for this ballroom isn’t even close to the worst thing Trump has done, but it shows just how far his administration is willing to go to blur the line between public service and personal luxury.
