An investigation by a senior U.S. senator has revealed that dozens of billionaire donors and corporate CEOs are refusing to answer basic questions about their multi-million dollar contributions to former President Donald Trump's controversial White House renovation project.
Senator Demands Answers, Gets Evasion
Senator Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent letters in late October to more than 30 known donors financing the construction of a 90,000-square-foot, $300 million ballroom at the White House, which required the demolition of the East Wing. He gave them until early November to respond.
The responses, obtained by HuffPost, were remarkably evasive. Out of 21 replies received—two from project contractors and the rest from donating companies—almost none directly answered Blumenthal's specific questions. Instead, the letters boasted about the companies' philanthropy and love for America.
Blumenthal had asked pointed questions, including the exact amount contributed and a list of all White House personnel or Trump associates with whom they discussed the donation.
Tech Giants and Contractors Cite "Civic Pride"
Major technology companies like Apple, Amazon, and Meta, which are helping finance the project, framed their support as a simple donation to a good cause. None disclosed the sum given or identified their contacts within Trump's orbit.
In a particularly ironic twist, Meta suggested it was financing the project to help preserve the White House grounds, despite the fact the project involved razing the entire East Wing. Other donors, including cryptocurrency firms Coinbase and Ripple, and major government contractor Booz Allen, similarly claimed their motivation was civic pride and a commitment to protecting the presidential residence.
Google was the sole company to reveal its donation amount, stating it gave $22 million. This figure had already been reported publicly as part of a settlement reached after Trump was banned from YouTube, which Google's parent company Alphabet owns, following the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
A Pattern of Opaque Funding and Public Opposition
Most donors insisted they were following all laws and were not giving money in exchange for perks. Some, like Comcast and BlackRock, claimed they donated blindly to the Trust for the National Mall—a nonprofit that works with the National Park Service—and had no control over funds being directed to Trump's specific ballroom project.
Others, such as Nvidia and the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation, confirmed they donated specifically to aid Trump's project. Notably, JPMorgan Chase will not be contributing. Its CEO, Jamie Dimon, expressed concern on CNN about the perception of "buying favors" and the potential legal risks under a future Justice Department.
The project faces significant public disapproval. An ABC News/Washington Post poll in late October found only 28% of Americans supported the ballroom's construction, with 56% opposed. The evasive responses to the Senate inquiry now raise further questions about the transparency and influence surrounding this massive private funding of a public institution.
