Trump is using a $500M no-bid contract to build his White House ballroom

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

June 30, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. EDT


White House officials last year secretly awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million for the construction of the East Wing ballroom in an unusual arrangement that sidestepped typical contracting procedures designed to control costs, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by The Washington Post.

The White House routed the contract through the Executive Residence, the document shows, an office that is exempt from rules that require federal agencies to solicit competitive bids and disclose details to the public. The office is typically responsible for routine repairs, entertainment expenses, and the purchase of furniture, art and other items for the executive mansion.

The confidential contract with Clark Construction, along with related correspondence and records obtained by The Post, reveal for the first time how the Trump administration bypassed norms last summer as it set the ballroom project in motion. Records also show that President Donald Trump was directly involved in negotiating some costs for the East Wing project.

The East Wing contract is the latest example of the administration turning to no-bid deals to hasten a Trump-style makeover of the nation’s capital, which has included handpicking firms to upgrade Lafayette Square next to the White House and to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/06/30/trump-ballroom-built-under-secret-500m-no-bid-contract/

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No paywall (gift)

[bif]

1. How is that even legal?

OH, I forgot, he can do whatever he wants. And no one ever says "No"!

[OldBaldy1701E]

7. Exactly.

I mean, people say 'No!' to him, but he does things anyway. His regime does things anyway.

Saying 'no' to this crowd does little to nothing.

[PatSeg]

12. Yes, he learned after his first term

not to listen to anyone and to just do whatever he wants. He had four years to change his leadership style and to flat out refuse to bow to precedent and legalities.

Of course, he's not always successful, but much of the time he gets what he wants through bullying and refusal to comply with the law. Typical mob boss, but often more outrageous.

[OldBaldy1701E]

32. Not a one of them has been held to account for anything.

I'd say he has been wildly successful.

[PatSeg]

34. A handful from his first term were held accountable

but Trump pardoned them. He has certainly learned to use the Dictator's Handbook effectively. Just ignore them and then defy them to do anything about it.

[UpInArms]

8. It isn't

Nothing TFG does is “legal”

[LisaL]

17. I don't think it is.

[Deminpenn]

19. There are ways to get around advertising

federal contracts for competitive bid and contracting rules.

[republianmushroom]

23. Remember, "no one is above the law". wink wink chuckle chuckle ha ha HA HA

[underpants]

2. "confidential contract" WTF is that?

In 2025, Clark Construction was awarded a $200M contract by the Trump administration, in conjunction with AECOM and McCrery Architects, to build a 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) state ballroom, which would include demolition/modification of part of the East Wing of the White House.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Construction

[displacedvermoter]

3. An unusual arrangement...

Kinda like the deals Tony Soprano made to divvy up the trash hauling routes in Newark and Elizabeth, and to build housing projects he could get federal kickbacks on.

I don't know if Trump thinks we are all stupid, I don't think he much cares what normal folks think. But I do know that much of the media thinks we are very stupid, as they keep serving up this bullshit about no bid $500 million contracts being "unusual" after having gone after Hunter Biden and his entire family for their supposed corrupt practices. Shame...!!!

[mdbl]

4. Someone should sue his ass for misuse of federal funds

immunity be damned.

[Rowdyag]

27. America vs trump

Would a class action lawsuits be applicable to this situation? We've been defrauded.

[travelingthrulife]

5. It will have to be torn down. It will be a security nightmare.

[maxsolomon]

40. How so?

It has no exterior spaces in the colonnade - they're all fake. All the glass will be bullet-proof. It has a massive Fuhrerbunker going in below.

It should be torn down out of national shame, but it won't be.

[Ray Bruns]

6. "The office is typically responsible for routine repairs, entertainment expenses, and the purchase of furniture, art"

Back in my federal government days, there were limits to these kind of contracts including a monetary limit. Something that cost that much would normally have to come from Congress.

But Trump is now king, sooooo……

[underpants]

10. The only "out" I think they have here is that's it's National Security

The Secret Service and medical stuff underground and security features. There is still a policy that has to cover a $200M procurement.

[Martin68]

9. A no bid contract will guarantee shoddy work like that performed on the Reflecting Pool.

It will probably need to be torn down and replaced by a decent White House wing.

[SamuelAdams]

11. He was telling the country it would cost $200 million when he had awarded s $500 million contract.

Will his cult ever get tired of being lied to? He is making Teapot Dome and Watergate look minor by comparison.

[Midnight Writer]

20. Plus he was still telling the country it would be paid for from private donations when he had already

given a 500-million-dollar GOVERNMENT contract to his buddies.

[Quanto Magnus]

28. Didn't his first announcement about it

include a $100 million price tag?

It quickly went to $400 million, but I thought it started that 'low'

[Firestorm49]

13. Donor money? F...K no!

[twodogsbarking]

14. Any comment from John Fetterman?

[dave99]

15. He don't care of Pennsylvania

[twodogsbarking]

33. You had me at "He don't care".

[LisaL]

16. Where exactly is these money coming from?

[VanceFan]

18. Guess

Our tax dollars at work. And you can bet Trump will be profiting from this too.

[WestMichRad]

21. Is anyone surprised that this involves shady dealings?

I’m certainly not.

[Six117]

22. Just More Stealing

Nt

[CaptainTruth]

24. What are the odds it will be built?

I'll give it 50/50.

I won't be surprised if he just leaves a mess for the next president to clean up.

[LymphocyteLover]

25. Totally agree. I've thought for a while he will never finish it, for whatever reason

[maxsolomon]

41. It's currently under construction so some of it's already built. Below grade.

Do you mean odds it will be finished?

I'd say odds are pretty good that it will be done early 2028.

[Turbineguy]

26. What's his vig on that?

[Klarkashton]

29. When that 500 million is exhausted and it's still

A hole in the ground what will be next?

[The Wizard]

30. Just wondering

what offshore money laundry is getting his bribes.

[kimbutgar]

31. I don't think it will be built

Things are going downhill in this country. If the Democratic Party wins both houses in November he will be stopped and also his health is spiraling downward and might meet his buddy Satan soon.

[muriel_volestrangler]

35. Has Congress agreed to any public money being spent on this?

The WP article says "half expected to come from taxpayers" - is that "expected" as in "Congressional Republicans are expected to cave to him and tack it onto something else and no-one else can stop them", or "Trump has asserted this, without evidence, as per usual"?

[BumRushDaShow]

37. It was reported that some was redirected from Secret Service funding

designated in the Barbaric Butcher Bill - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143681008

[muriel_volestrangler]

38. Thanks - I do remember that now

The financial scams just pile up so quickly it's easy to forget some.

[pansypoo53219]

36. hopefully it gets stopped in 2027. + they have to put up a new east wing. or something smaller.

[Scruffy1]

39. The architect is now Shalom Baranes.

Kind of strange choice even though it is well respected firm that has a history of historical preservations including the DC post office building. The strange part is that Shalom Baranes is a Jewish immigrant who has spoken out in defense of Islamic immigrants, As far as I know they are not a design build firm, but of course are responsible for construction oversight for the project.
I have never seen a government construction job done like this. The norm is to have a a design competition and selection, and then the plans are made public for competitive biddings. Alternatively the competition could be for design and build which iss often used for things like bridges and some privately held properties.