Construction on $200 million White House ballroom to begin in September
It also will be the first structural change to the Executive Mansion itself since the addition of the Truman balcony in 1948. Trump has substantially redecorated the Oval Office through the addition of golden flourishes and cherubs, presidential portraits and other items, and installed massive flagpoles on the north and south lawns to fly the American flag.
Workers are currently finishing up a project to replace the lawn in the Rose Garden with stone. Trump for months has been promising to build a ballroom, saying the White House doesn't have space big enough for large events and scoffing at the notion of hosting heads of state and other guests in tents on the lawn as past administrations have done for state dinners attended by hundreds of guests.
The East Room, the largest room in the the White House, can accommodate about 200 people. Trump said he's been planning the construction for some time. "They've wanted a ballroom at the White House for more than 150 years but there's never been a president that was good at ballrooms,' Trump told reporters Thursday. "I'm good at building things and we're going to build quickly and on time. It'll be beautiful, top, top of the line.' He said the new ballroom would not interfere with the mansion itself.
"It'll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of,' he said of the White House. "It's my favorite. It's my favorite place. I love it.' Trump said the ballroom will serve administrations to come. "It'll be a great legacy project,' he said. "I think it will be really beautiful.' The 90,000-square-foot ballroom will be built where the East Wing sits with a seated capacity of 650 people. T
he East Wing houses several offices, including the first lady's. Those offices will be temporarily relocated during construction and that wing of the building will be modernized and renovated, said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. "Nothing will be torn down,' she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
4 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Trump tariffs don't spare his fans in EU
BUDAPEST: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban promised that the return of his 'dear friend' Donald Trump as US president would usher in a new 'golden age'. But trade unionist Zoltan Laszlo says Hungary's auto industry has seen the opposite as the United States announced new tariffs, with order cancellations and workflow disruptions marking employees' day-to-day experience. With tariff rates rising from 2.5 percent before Trump's return to around 25 percent and finally to 15 percent, the 'American tariff slalom' has caused nothing but chaos in the car industry, said Laszlo, who represents workers at Mexican automotive parts manufacturer Nemak's Hungarian plant. In recent years, Hungary and neighboring Slovakia have become European manufacturing hubs for global car brands seeking lower labor costs, including British Jaguar Land Rover, German Mercedes and Japanese Suzuki. But due to the export-oriented nature of their automotive sectors, catering in part to the US market, they are among those EU nations hardest-hit by the latest tariffs slated to kick in on August 7. Despite hailing Trump's comeback and visiting him twice at his Mar-a-Lago luxury estate last year, Orban — his closest EU ally — was not spared the pain. Neither were more favorable conditions extended to Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country is the world's largest automobile manufacturer per capita. According to analyst Matej Hornak, the incoming tariffs won't bode well. He warns of a drop in exports amounting to 'several hundred million euros' and the loss of '10,000-12,000' jobs in the sector. After the announcement of the EU-US trade deal, Orban was quick to apportion blame to EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, saying Trump 'ate' her 'for breakfast'. But in April, the mayor of the Hungarian city of Gyor, whose strong economic growth is closely linked to its car manufacturing plants, had already warned of possible cutbacks and layoffs. For the city, which is home to various global brands and more than a dozen different parts and component suppliers including Nemak, the fresh tariffs are a disaster. As one of the biggest employers in Hungary, German carmaker Volkswagen alone provides jobs for more than 12,000 people. Its main engine factory in Gyor produces some Audi-branded vehicles directly for the US market. The Hungarian government has said that it is still assessing the impact of the tariff rates, vowing that upcoming business deals with Washington could mitigate the negative effects of Trump's 'America first' policy. But more headwinds are ahead for Hungary and Slovakia, said Brussels-based geopolitical analyst Botond Feledy. 'When it comes to European dealmaking, Trump now prioritises more geopolitically influential figures—the main option for smaller nations such as Slovakia and Hungary is to join forces with others,' he told AFP. But the 'aggressive posturing' in the same vein of Trump's protectionist policies both countries adopted in recent months have isolated them among fellow EU countries, making compromises difficult, the expert added. Moreover, the stakes are high for Orban, whose 15-year rule has recently been challenged by former government insider-turned-rival Peter Magyar ahead of elections scheduled for next spring. 'Dissatisfaction with the standard of living has made voters more critical, which is also reflected in the popularity ratings of the governing parties,' said economist Zoltan Pogatsa, adding that 'Hungary has been in a state of near stagnation for many years now'. This year's economic 'flying start' touted by Orban did not materialize, with the government further lowering the country's growth goal from the initial 3.4 to one percent. 'So far, Trump's second presidency has only impacted the Hungarian economy through his tariff policy, which has been negative,' Pogatsa added. At the Nemak plant, a recent warning strike has led to management promising to sort out the unpredictable work schedules caused by the tariff changes, which were 'unhealthy and physically unbearable' and made 'family and private life become incompatible with work', said Laszlo. – AFP
Kuwait Times
5 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
US House panel subpoenas Clintons in Epstein probe
WASHINGTON: The US House Oversight Committee on Tuesday subpoenaed former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for testimony on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to letters posted on its website. The Clintons were among multiple former Democratic and Republican government officials - as well as the Justice Department - targeted by investigators in a major escalation of the controversy surrounding the investigation into the disgraced financier, who died in 2019 awaiting trial for sex trafficking. The White House has been facing increasingly intense demands to be more transparent after the Justice Department angered Trump supporters - many of whom believe Epstein was murdered in a cover-up - when it confirmed last month that he had died by suicide and that his case was effectively closed. The department also said Epstein had no secret 'client list' - rebuffing conspiracy theories held by Trump's far-right supporters about supposedly high-level Democratic complicity. Trump has urged his supporters to drop demands for the Epstein files, but Democrats in the Republican-led Congress - with some support from majority lawmakers - have also been seeking a floor vote to force their release. 'By your own admission, you flew on Jeffrey Epstein's private plane four separate times in 2002 and 2003,' Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer wrote to former president Clinton. 'During one of these trips, you were even pictured receiving a 'massage' from one of Mr. Epstein's victims. The White House has been seeking to redirect public attention from uproar over its handling of the affair with a series of headline-grabbing announcements including baselsss claims that former president Barack Obama headed a 'treasonous conspiracy' against Trump. Epstein was a financier and friend to numerous high-profile people—for years, including Trump—who was convicted of sex crimes and then imprisoned pending trial for allegedly trafficking underage girls. His 2019 prison cell death supercharged a conspiracy theory long promoted by many Trump supporters that Epstein had run an international pedophile ring and that elites wanted to make sure he never revealed their secrets. After Trump returned to power in January, his administration promised to release Epstein case files. Several of Trump's most effective promoters over the years—including new FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino—made careers of fanning the rumors about Epstein. But when Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on July 7 that she had nothing to release, Republicans were furious—and Trump has attempted to control the scandal ever since. Yet it has dominated headlines through the summer, showing just how hard it is for 79-year-old Trump to maintain his usual mastery of driving news agendas—even within his fervently loyal 'MAGA' base. Things got even more complicated for him after a Wall Street Journal report that Trump had written a lewd birthday letter to Epstein in 2003. Trump denies this and has sued the Journal. The Journal then dropped a separate story, saying Bondi had informed Trump in May that his name appeared several times in the Epstein files, even if there was no indication of wrongdoing. The president recently raised further questions about his past relationship with Epstein when he told reporters he fell out with his former friend after Epstein 'stole' female employees from the spa at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Other officials targeted by the panel include former FBI director James Comey, former special counsel Robert Mueller and ex-attorney generals Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Bill Barr, Jeff Sessions, and Alberto Gonzales. Their depositions will take place between mid-August and mid-October. Comer also issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for records related to Epstein—including its communications with Trump's predecessor Joe Biden and his officials. Lawmakers have also been seeking testimony from Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for her role in his alleged crimes—although her cooperation is considered unlikely. – AFP
Arab Times
6 hours ago
- Arab Times
The compassionate captain of Kuwait Airways
I did not expect to return to writing about Kuwait Airways so soon, but a message from a reader of my recent article in the Arab Times, along with an interview I came across with a former Kuwait Airways captain, compelled me to revisit the topic. The reader, a European, wrote, 'I read your article about Kuwait Airways in The Arab Times and appreciated its insight. I especially enjoyed the story about the dead horse. Your words resonated with me as both a regular flyer and someone working in aviation. 'I wanted to share this thought - We must learn from the experiences of other Gulf Cooperation Council countries. 'Their companies generate high profits and operate with clear efficiency. I work closely with them, and all have professional CEOs and management teams with extensive airline industry experience, drawn from a range of international backgrounds. 'The truth is that few industries are as global and professionally demanding as aviation, so airline management must be global in both mindset and expertise. 'I understand this may conflict with the goals of 'Kuwaitization,' but if the government wants to stop subsidizing a loss-making national carrier, while other Gulf airlines thrive, earn billions in profits, build strong reputations, and operate from world-class airports, then the only viable solution is to place the airline in the hands of professionals who adhere strictly to sound business rules.' I replied by saying I understood his perspective, and that I had previously advised more than one Kuwait Airways CEO to seek government approval to amend the regulations that prohibit hiring highly qualified foreign experts, even temporarily, until a capable Kuwaiti CEO can be trained to take over and manage the company efficiently before the foreign expert's contract ends. This is exactly what Kuwaiti banks did, and I personally witnessed both the foreign expertise phase and the rise of national talent. In the early days, most bank leadership teams were American, British, or French. But over time, and through proper training, dozens of outstanding Kuwaiti professionals emerged, including figures like Yousef Al-Awadhi, Yousef Al-Hussaini, Abdullah Al-Sumait, Adel Al-Majed, Imad Al-Saqr, Walid Mandani, and others. I apologize to those I may have unintentionally omitted. --- On another note, I recently listened to a podcast interview with a former Kuwait Airways captain. When asked by the host about the reasons behind the national carrier's decline in performance compared to other Gulf airlines, he responded without hesitation by explaining that he had served as a pilot at Kuwait Airways for 42 years, and described the company as one filled with compassion, warmth, and generosity. He emphasized that Kuwait Airways is not a profit-driven entity, but rather a service-oriented one. As an example, he pointed to the airline's humanitarian role during emergencies and natural disasters in various countries, where Kuwaiti citizens were stranded. In such cases, Kuwait Airways stepped in to rescue and return them home free of charge. He concluded by saying that Kuwait Airways is the best airline in the Gulf and proudly noted that it maintains a spotless safety record, unlike some of its regional counterparts. The captain either forgot or chose to overlook that his remarks amounted to an implicit criticism of the reputation and safety records of other Gulf airlines. By doing so, he suggested they lacked the 'love, compassion, and generosity' that Kuwait Airways reportedly shows, including failing to rescue their stranded citizens abroad. Moreover, his comparison of Kuwait Airways' safety record with those of other Gulf carriers was flawed, as if implying negligence on their part. This comparison is unfair and unrealistic. Naturally, there will be differences in performance and safety between an airline operating 20 or 30 aircraft and those managing fleets of hundreds. Kuwait Airways is our national carrier, and we all hope it achieves the highest standards. To do so, it needs to be privatized or at least granted its board of directors greater autonomy to hire international experts to manage the airline, without unnecessary interference by the relevant minister.
