this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2025
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Trump can't focus long enough, even on his $400 million passion project

In October, Donald Trump traumatized all true patriots by tearing down the East Wing of the White House. The move, he claims, will clear the way for a ballroom for holding large events that are typically held in tents on the South Lawn. A debate immediately arose online over whether or not the next Democratic president should tear down the ballroom or keep it, albeit with the necessary extensive renovations to remove all the tackiness Trump brings to any project.

Two months later, it increasingly seems that such discussion was a wasted effort, as the chance this ballroom will actually be built is rapidly disappearing. Perhaps it could have if Trump had delegated the management of the project to someone competent, but that’s not what he did. Instead, the famously lazy and disorganized president decided to blow off his actual governance duties in favor of micromanaging a construction project he is incapable of handling. Finishing the ballroom in the next three years would be difficult for anyone, but it’s quickly becoming clear it will be nearly impossible for the famed real estate tycoon to pull it off.

The whole thing is a too-perfect symbol of Trump’s second administration: They are very good at breaking things, but they don’t know how to create anything of value.

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[–] Bonifratz@piefed.zip 36 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

The fact that Trump just randomly tore down part of the White House still makes me laugh.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 hour ago

Wait until you see the shit stains on the constitution.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 9 points 2 hours ago

Not unexpected. He handed all kinds of government jobs to the terminally incompetent.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 101 points 4 hours ago (6 children)

I bet they can't get any contractor to work on that, because the Administration has already stiffed the demolition crew and nobody wants to touch a job they will never get paid for.

[–] bagsy@lemmy.world 1 points 7 minutes ago

That asshole hasnt paid any bills in decades, i cant believe anyone is still dumb enough to accept a job for this conman.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 40 minutes ago

Also, you try finding a construction crew on the east coast he hasn't personally stiffed already

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 90 points 4 hours ago (3 children)

You need to remember just how stupid some of his base is. There are pickme's out there who will 100% jump at the chance and think surely Trump won't stiff them.

[–] jonne 59 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

I'm actually amazed how he keeps finding new suckers after decades of doing it in the private sector and almost 10 years of doing it as President. The only ones that really came out ahead are the criminals that bought their pardons. Everyone else gets screwed one way or another.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 11 minutes ago (1 children)

10 years doing it as President?

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 1 points 3 minutes ago

He announced his intentions in 2015, so it's a cromulent statement.

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 10 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

On a personal level sure, but this isn't a job for a random one man operation.

At the top level you need a business and as much as business leaders love Trump (who doesn't love a useful idiot) they would never risk their bottom line for it.

All that and the fact that you would likely need a whole bunch of credentials to be building parts of the white house, or at least you likely used to.

[–] somethingsnappy@lemmy.world 3 points 37 minutes ago

He'll just hire a Russian firm. No security issues there.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 hours ago

So many faces offering themselves to the leopards

[–] Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de 28 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

I bet they can't get any contractor to work on that, because the Administration has already stiffed the demolition crew

I wanted this to be true... https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-east-wing-demolition-congress/?collection=471833 Unfortunately it's not

[–] cenzorrll@piefed.ca 1 points 41 minutes ago

That doesn't mean he hasn't stiffed them, just that particular story about congress blocking funds is fake.

[–] half_built_pyramids@lemmy.world 18 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Wow, when did snopes become an absolutely adfucked shithole. Besides, as far as I can tell that article is focused on Congress stopping the payments being false, not whether or not they've actually been paid, which wasn't clear to me.

[–] jonne 16 points 3 hours ago (5 children)

I wonder what a demolition crew does if you don't pay them. Other tradies will typically just rip out their work, but it's not like a demo crew can easily rebuild something they tore down.

[–] SARGE@startrek.website 2 points 39 minutes ago

I'm a big fan of "you paid us to remove your shit, you didn't pay us, here's your shit/equivalent of your shit back"

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 30 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

Maybe that's Trump's big plan: don't pay the demolition crew, and hope that they build a massive ballroom in protest.

[–] jonne 13 points 3 hours ago
[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 hours ago

A demo crew could keep working by mistake.

[–] Zephorah@discuss.online 8 points 3 hours ago

Most contractors put a lien on your house.

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[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago

But have you considered building it for exposure?

[–] Zephorah@discuss.online 7 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

For real? They didn’t pay the demo crew? Or os this speculation?

[–] InvalidName2@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I bet the "I bet" at the start of the statement was meant to indicate that it's not for real, just an example of one of the myriad things Trump has done over the years that might lead a contractor to be wary of taking on a job for him and which would be good rationale to avoid being next in line to be burned.

[–] lando55@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

I'll take your bet but I want terrible odds

[–] cAUzapNEAGLb@lemmy.world 8 points 2 hours ago

I think there's a pretty good argument laid out in this video that the ballroom is a literal cover for a bunkered database

https://youtu.be/VbJ4ilDvGyc

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 32 points 4 hours ago

Man who failed at casinos unable to build ballroom. Who could have forseen this!?!?!

[–] etherphon@lemmy.world 6 points 2 hours ago

They are very good at breaking things, but they don’t know how to create anything of value.

Yet they'll still come out richer than ever, what a world.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 20 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Trump can’t focus long enough, even on his $400 million passion project

Didn't it start out under $100 million?

[–] Sumocat@lemmy.world 32 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

It started at $200M and as “not affecting the existing structure” and will end as a $900M donation to the Trump presidential library, which will also not be built.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 5 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

Plot twist: the Trump Presidential library is built in place of the East Wing

[–] NotSteve_@piefed.ca 3 points 1 hour ago

That actually seems completely plausible

[–] zod000@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Plot twist 2: The library will only be a small shelf because Trump is effectively illiterate and he will pocket the rest of the money.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 7 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

In a just world the library would be filled with the Epstein files and all of his executive orders with explanations about how they were illegal attempts to legislate from the oval office.

[–] zod000@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 hours ago

Instead, it probably going to be scrap books of under age girls he raped, a bible (for photo ops while holding it upside down), and Mein Kampf for anti-virtue signaling.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 11 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Oh... now it's $400 million?

[–] MadMadBunny@lemmy.ca 16 points 3 hours ago

$400 million SO FAR!

[–] apples4anna@lemmy.world 19 points 4 hours ago (1 children)
[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 19 points 4 hours ago

We can't have elections in the middle of a ballroom renovation!!

[–] NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 hours ago

Was actually wondering about this the other night.

Are there any pictures of the current state of it? I kind of assume they just half tore down the east wing and then wandered off.

But, regardless: This was always a scam. Even if they build something, expect trump and his cronies to pocket the vast majority of the money that was supposed to be dedicated to it. Wouldn't be shocked if it just collapsed the first time a hurricane reached DC.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Say what you will, Salon gives good copium.

It wont change anything about the political calculus of the country, which is well and truly fucked, but it's a lovely café un croissant anyway.

My brain. I read "bathroom" instead of "ballroom."

[–] mr_account@lemmy.world 9 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Is it grift? I wonder if it's grift. Nah, he's too upstanding of a guy to do that...

[–] MadMadBunny@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 hours ago
[–] BigMacHole@sopuli.xyz 3 points 3 hours ago

FAKE NEWS! Trump ALREADY destroyed the White House so it 100% WILL be Built! Otherwise he would Have DESTROYED the People's House for Nothing and as a RED BLOODED AMERICAN PATRIOT that would Upset me! UNLESS Trump is ACTUALLY doing that Then it's OK and that massive Hole in the White house is EXACTLY what it Needed! I'm a Free Thinker TM!

[–] xxce2AAb@feddit.dk 5 points 3 hours ago

Yes, yes. That's a terrible shame, I'm sure.

[–] lung@lemmy.world -5 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Uhh idk about this article, it meanders randomly around various failings of the president (sure) but building a big room in 3 years with a ton of money available seems totally doable

[–] jonne 9 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

It's doable if you're not constantly changing the plans. The issue appears to be that he keeps changing things about it. Every plan or rendering they've released is different and it keeps getting bigger with each iteration.

[–] Whelks_chance@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

AI isn't good at making minor changes to an image

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