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VIDEO: Trump shows off plans for new $400 million White House ballroom

By WTOP Staff

While aboard Air Force One Sunday, President Donald Trump showed reporters renderings of a proposed White House ballroom, saying it could be “the finest” of its kind, during a return flight to D.C.

Trump, a longtime property developer, said the East Wing of the White House would be demolished to make way for the privately funded $400 million ballroom, which he has long argued is needed to host large events.

Trump told reporters the military is building a “massive complex” for the military under the ballroom building. He said details of the complex were released following what he described as a “stupid lawsuit.”

In February, a federal judge rejected a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to halt the project. 

See video below.

CNN and CBS contributed to this report. 

‘Maybe we’ll never take it down’: Trump compares White House UFC arena to Eiffel Tower, says it could be permanent

Construction continues on a venue for the upcoming UFC match on the South Lawn of the White House on June 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump is floating the possibility of keeping the UFC arena on the White House South Lawn -- built for a series of fights on his birthday and Flag Day -- permanently.In a video posted to his official TikTok account Tuesday evening, Trump sat in the Oval Office and said that the Eiffel Tower in Paris was supposed to be a temporary structure, but that France kept it up -- suggesting that the UFC arena is "quite attractive to a lot of people" so "maybe we'll never ever take it down.""People don't know that in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower, 1889 it was built. It was supposed to be taken down immediately after the world's fair, and then they said: 'leave it up a little bit longer, and then they said, 'let's leave it up longer and longer and longer,'" Trump said in the video."Well, they never took it down, and you know we're building something in front of the White House that's quite attractive to a lot of people. Really, it's going to have the big UFC fight on June 14, and I'm looking at it and maybe we'll never ever take it down," Trump added.The Eiffel Tower was constructed for the 1889 World Exhibition, and was only meant to stay up for 20 years -- until 1909, according to the Eiffel Tower's website. Yet the tower's architect Gustave Eiffel fought to keep the tower intact, according to the website.The "UFC Freedom Fights 250" will take place on June 14 and feature a lightweight title matchup between undisputed champion Ilia Topuria and interim title holder Justin Gaethje alongside four other fights.The arena is visible from the White House North Lawn, cresting over the historic West Wing and Executive Residence.The White House South Lawn, where the arena is located, is a place often utilized by presidents.Trump and past presidents depart and arrive on Marine One from the lawn ahead of any travel to Joint Base Andrews -- an opportunity for members of the media to shout questions to the president as he moves from the White House to his helicopter. These arrivals and departures have been closed to the press since the week of May 20, when construction on the arena began.Other events, including the White House Easter Egg Roll and the annual Congressional Picnic, which was just held in May, are traditionally hosted on the South Lawn, too.ABC News' Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
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