President Donald Trump hosted an exclusive White House fundraiser this week, unveiling bold plans for a new 90,000-square-foot East Wing ballroom and a triumphal arch design to stand near Arlington Memorial Bridge. The high-profile event drew more than 120 business leaders from America’s most powerful corporations, tech firms, and investment circles.
Executives from Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Palantir, T-Mobile, and Comcast were among those in attendance, alongside figures from Big Tobacco, Wall Street, energy conglomerates, and the sports world. Oil mogul Harold Hamm, sugar magnate Pepe Fanjul, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers owners Edward and Shari Glazer were also spotted in the East Room.
The cryptocurrency industry was heavily represented, with executives from Coinbase, Ripple, Tether, and the Winklevoss twins of Gemini fame.
Trump told attendees that the $200 million ballroom project is already fully funded through private donations. The expansion will include bulletproof glass, seating for nearly 1,000 guests, and modernized facilities for state dinners and major functions.
“So many of you have been incredibly generous,” Trump said, noting multiple multi-million-dollar pledges, with some donors reportedly offering $25 million on the spot.
According to CBS News, corporate pledges include $22 million from Google, tied to settling a previous lawsuit regarding Trump’s suspension from YouTube, as well as contributions from Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, Palantir, and NextEra Energy.
The White House partnered with the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall to oversee fundraising, with talks of donor names being memorialized in stone or brick as recognition.
Not everyone is impressed with the lavish fundraising campaign. Critics argue the donations are less about generosity and more about influence.
“Do they think we’re dumb enough to believe this money comes with no strings attached?” Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) posted on X.
