Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said President Donald Trump is prioritizing personal construction projects over ending the war with Iran and addressing domestic concerns. Hickenlooper’s post on X linked to New York Times reporting on Trump’s Washington construction projects.
Hickenlooper: Projects “Cost YOU the Taxpayer”
“Instead of ending his illegal war with Iran and focusing on Americans here at home, President Trump is fixated on vanity projects that cost YOU the taxpayer,” Hickenlooper wrote.
Commerce Secretary Said Trump Finds “Reprieve” From War in Construction
The Times reported that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters outside a Washington courthouse that Trump uses construction projects as an escape from the ongoing conflict. “He loves to build,” Lutnick said, adding that Trump calls him late at night “because it’s fun for him.” Lutnick said that in casual conversation, people inevitably ask Trump about Iran and other pressing matters, but “the one thing he likes to do during the week is construction.”
Combined Projects Carry a Potential Cost of Up to $1 Billion
According to the Times, the roughly half-dozen makeover projects Trump has set in motion around Washington — including a White House ballroom, a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, and renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — carry a potential combined cost of up to $1 billion, much of it at taxpayer expense.
Polling Has Consistently Shown Broad Opposition to the Projects
A Washington Post-Ipsos poll of more than 2,600 U.S. adults conducted July 8-13 found 65% of respondents felt “dissatisfied” or “upset” about the ballroom, arch and Reflecting Pool projects considered together, compared with 32% who felt “enthusiastic” or “satisfied.” The same poll found only 26% of respondents believed Trump’s primary motivation was making Washington “more beautiful,” while 51% said they believed he had a different goal. A separate ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found Americans opposed the ballroom specifically by roughly a 2-to-1 margin and opposed the arch by an even wider margin.
East Wing Demolition Proceeded Without Historic Preservation Review
Trump’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing to build the ballroom was not subject to the National Historic Preservation Act’s standard review process, since the White House, U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court building are exempt from that law’s requirements. The White House also did not submit the ballroom plans to the National Capital Planning Commission before beginning demolition, arguing the panel’s review authority covers new construction rather than the teardown of an existing structure.
Supreme Court Allowed Construction to Continue Over Chief Justice’s Dissent
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Aug. 31 in National Park Service v. National Trust for Historic Preservation, No. 26A203, that construction could continue while litigation proceeds, finding that the trust, which sued to block the roughly $400 million project, likely lacked Article III standing because its claimed injury — distress at the ballroom’s appearance — was not concrete and particularized. The unsigned majority opinion did not resolve whether Trump has legal authority to build the ballroom without congressional approval, an open question in the underlying suit. Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by the court’s three Democratic-appointed justices, dissented, writing that “today’s decision is no victory for the separation of powers” and that the construction “is likely unlawful.” U.S. District Judge Richard Leon had ruled in April that construction “must stop until Congress authorizes its completion,” a ruling the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld before the Supreme Court’s stay superseded it. National Trust President Brent Leggs said in a statement that the organization was “deeply disappointed” but noted “the majority did not weigh in on whether the ballroom project was in fact legal.”
Trump Has Given Conflicting Accounts of the Project’s Funding
Following the ruling, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “the Ballroom is totally funded by Great Patriots and Corporations and, therefore, is a Gift — At no cost to the American Taxpayer.” Donations are managed through the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall, and a White House-provided list of 37 donors includes major corporations such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Palantir Technologies and Coinbase, along with individual donors including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s family and Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson’s foundation. The list does not specify how much each donor has contributed, and Trump’s claim of full private funding is in tension with earlier reporting that a substantial share of the project’s escalating cost has been drawn from public funds, including the Secret Service and White House Military Office budgets, according to contractor estimates previously reported by The Washington Post.
Justice Department Says Arch Excavation Not a Final Construction Decision
The administration has said it plans to begin archaeological excavation at the proposed arch site near Arlington National Cemetery before the review process is complete. In a court filing described by the Times, the Justice Department said the government intended only to conduct an excavation necessary for a historic review and that no final decision on the project had been made.
Reflecting Pool Renovation Became a Symbol of Dysfunction
Trump’s remodeling of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which he said began after he brought in his personal “pool guy” to address leaks, later drew scrutiny after new coating on the pool began to peel. Trump blamed “vandals” without providing evidence; U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office pursued charges against a former Olympian in connection with the damage before the case fell apart and charges were dropped.
White House Says Ballroom Serves National Security Purpose
The White House has said the new ballroom is necessary to accommodate events for visiting dignitaries and serves a national security function, since it is being constructed above an existing emergency operations bunker.
Trump Has Said He Wants to Build Structures That Cannot Be Torn Down
Trump told New York Magazine in a recent interview that he believes no one will build monuments to him after he leaves office unless he builds them himself. “Nobody will do it once I’m gone,” he said. “When I leave here, nobody will.” The Times reported Trump has held this belief for decades, tracing it to his experience attending the 1964 opening of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, where the bridge’s designer went unacknowledged by name.
White House Spokesman Defended Trump’s Focus on Multiple Priorities
White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the Times that “President Trump can walk and chew gum at the same time,” adding that “the Trump Administration continues to deliver on the president’s campaign promises” and calling Trump the “Builder-in-Chief” who has done more “to beautify our nation’s interior” than any prior president.
Hickenlooper Has Repeatedly Linked War Costs to Domestic Spending Priorities
Hickenlooper, a member of the Senate Commerce and Small Business committees, has repeatedly argued throughout the Iran war that its costs and the administration’s broader spending choices reflect misplaced priorities relative to domestic economic concerns.