WASHINGTON — In his first public appearance since Republicans took a string of losses in the midterm elections, President Donald Trump bragged Wednesday about the White House ballroom currently under construction and spoke little about the results of his party.
“This is a special structure. It’s going to be not only one of the biggest, but it’ll be the most beautiful ballroom, I think, anywhere in the world, and they’ve been trying to get it for 150 years,” Trump told construction workers at the ballroom site on the White House grounds.
“This will be something very special. And so we’re putting up the last piece of steel. I thought it would be appropriate to have the media here,” he added.
Trump briefly spoke on the Republicans’ loss in the midterms after nearly 20 minutes after he took a few questions from reporters. When asked for comment on Vice President JD Vance’s statement that the Iran war was to blame for the war, Trump said he agreed.
“I think it’s largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short term,” he said. “At the same time, if I had it to do again, I’d have to do it again because long term it’s the only answer. You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
The president signed a steel beam and brought speakers up to tout the project, showing Trump learned nothing from his party’s defeat amid criticism he’s too focused on his vanity projects.
“I’m doing it because the White House is the ultimate symbol of America and it’s got to be pristine, it’s got to be perfect,” he said. “And if you take a look at it, that’s what it is right now. You have no idea how much work we had to do.”
Trump claimed that it was “the dream of presidents to have a ballroom for 150 years” and bragged about the “most beautiful marble” that will be in the ballroom.
“I got it for the floor of the ballroom at the White House. And it’s going to be beautiful. The walls are going to be very — you’ll see a lot of glass,” he said.
