Overview
- The Post–ABC–Ipsos poll, conducted Friday through Tuesday after Saturday’s shooting, found 56% oppose and 28% support the ballroom, with no significant shift once sample changes were accounted for.
- U.S. District Judge Richard Leon on March 31 ordered a pause on above‑ground work unless Congress authorizes the project, and the Justice Department has moved to dismiss the preservationists’ suit while invoking the shooting in its filing.
- Republican sponsors in both chambers rolled out measures to authorize construction or provide roughly $400 million, including Sen. Lindsey Graham’s plan to use customs fees and a House bill granting the president sole design approval.
- Trump first touted private financing and released a partial donor list featuring major tech and defense firms, yet new proposals to tap taxpayer funds have drawn Democratic criticism that the project is out of step with affordability concerns.
- Crews demolished the East Wing in October 2025 as costs rose toward $400 million and designs shifted, and experts note the WHCA dinner is a private 2,500‑person event that would not fit in a 650–999 seat White House venue.