President for Life? Trump plans 164% White House expansion to entertain his oligarch friends

Don't tell DOGE... Proposed 90,000 sq. ft. expansion of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave would add a single ballroom for Trump to entertain his wealthy and powerful friends

The White House today stands at roughly 55,000 square feet. That’s a big house, serving multiple purposes for the American people.

Donald Trump is seeking a 90,000 square foot expansion of the property to add a single ballroom for him to entertain his wealthy and powerful friends. The gilded ballroom would sit empty for the vast majority of the time. How much will this vanity project cost taxpayers in both up-front and ongoing expenses? The Trump Administration will not say.

In one of the most expensive American cities in which to live, a project of this scale could provide roughly 100 affordable two-bedroom homes for low- to moderate-income families. But priorities are priorities. The 90,000 square foot ballroom isn’t being built for use by any average American. With no transactional Trump relationship, more than 99.9 percent of Americans would presumably never dine at one of the planned ornate tables.

Such a historic and wanton waste of taxpayer dollars should make every American’s blood boil. But the money is only one piece; the project is a threat to our very democracy.

Did the Trump Administration consult White House historians or Democratic officials whose party will presumably control the presidency at some point in the future, thus having a major stake in the expansion of the chief executive’s home? Of course not. Why would a man who intends to be president for life need to consider the country’s interests?

Today’s photo-filled announcement, shared with White House media correspondents and white supremacy-tied MAGA bloggers cosplaying as journalists, is the most tangible sign to date that Donald Trump does not intend to leave the White House come January 20, 2029. Call me alarmist if you wish because I am sounding the alarm. For the sake of our country, ground must never be broken on this authoritarian power-grab in the form of a Mar-a-Lago annex.

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is or at least should be a temporary living space leased by the American people to the head of state they elect in a recurring process under the U.S. Constitution. But as Donald Trump ran for president in 2024, he pledged to suspend the U.S. Constitution and suggested that, were he elected, 2024 would mark America’s last presidential election.

Most of the country ignored or laughed off Trump’s comments at the time. But here’s the thing about authoritarians: They tell you exactly what they want to do before they do it, and they can only be stopped if their frightening intentions are taken seriously. It’s past time to take Trump seriously. The American people must mobilize to stop him from completing this project.

The White House was built from 1792 to 1800 and rebuilt after invading British forces set it ablaze in 1814 — both times largely by the back-breaking labor of enslaved people. Former first Lady Michelle Obama in 2016 passionately reminded the American people, "I wake up every morning in a house built by slaves.” Good presidents understand the privilege it is to occupy The Residence. Good presidents take their responsibility to the American people seriously. Donald Trump looks at the White House and only sees run-of-the-mill brick and mortar — his least favorite property that he can alter as he sees fit.

Photos portraying massive, gilded, Trump-style renovations to our house should give every American pause — brief pause – before it compels us to action.

Donald Trump can make his own properties as ugly and as extravagant as he wishes. But he cannot desecrate our house in his own image. Donald, consider this your eviction notice: You will not alter our property without our permission and you will vacate the premises on or before January 20, 2029 in accordance with federal and district law.