CNN on Tuesday aired a damning montage of President Donald Trump's past comments about his proposed White House ballroom, after Senate Republicans reportedly requested $1 billion in taxpayer money for security measures tied to the project.
Montage of Broken Promises
"The Arena" anchor Kasie Hunt played a supercut of Trump repeatedly insisting that the ballroom — for which he controversially demolished the White House's East Wing — would cost taxpayers nothing. "The request sounds a little different from what the president had long said about this prized ballroom project of his, that it would not be funded with taxpayer dollars," Hunt said before introducing the clip.
In the footage, Trump stated at various points:
- "And I’m paying for it. I’m paying for it. The country is not."
- "We’re donating a $400 million ballroom."
- "Myself and donors are giving them free of charge for nothing."
- "We did this at no charge to the taxpayer whatsoever."
- "Rich people and people are putting up the money. Zero taxpayer dollars."
"Guess not," Hunt quipped after the montage ended.
Political Fallout
The revelation has sparked outrage among critics who accuse Trump of misleading the public. The requested $1 billion would cover enhanced security for the ballroom, which has been a pet project of the president. Watch the video above for the full segment.
