Former President Donald Trump laid out, indeed, an audacious plan. He envisions erecting an extravagant, 90,000-square-foot ballroom on what’s now the East Wing of the White House. This very ambitious project is expected to cost about $200 million. It will feature gold trim that would call to mind the breathtaking ballroom that Trump created at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
The announcement comes as speculation continues to swirl around Trump’s potential for a run at the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. During a recent 90-minute sitdown with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Trump raised that option himself. This follows his earlier claim that he would answer “no, probably not” if a reporter asked him if he had any plans to run. Newsom has since warned the American public that Trump is “gravely serious” about pursuing a third term, which would violate the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The 22nd Amendment states, “No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice.” Trump has already suggested looking at ways of doing an end-run around this rule. He points to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four electoral wins as an example for his thinking. Political pundits and Republican opponents are rightfully alarmed by this assertion. For much of the world, Trump’s ambitions are a direct assault on the very idea of democratic norms.
In one such successful engagement, Newsom was treated to a shipment of two dozen “Trump 2028” hats from the former president’s loyalists. He recently mused about this very gesture, asking if Trump was joking on the idea of running again.
“You think he’s joking about 2028?” – Gavin Newsom
Newsom has gained considerable national attention for his pointed criticisms of Trump, often using social media to troll the former president. In this way, he has explained the turning of the political tide. He added, “The rule of law is being supplanted by the rule of Don. That feeling is shared by most Americans who continue to be disturbed by Donald Trump’s long-lasting impact on American political discourse since leaving office.
The same supporters of Trump that screamed for him when he made his 2020 election fraud claims have stuck by his side ever since. His supporters carried out the January 6 insurrection against the Capitol intended to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s win. This tragic event further highlighted the persistent divisions in the country.
President Trump responded to Newsom’s shots with some of his own. He called out Newsom as a “nice guy,” who “looks good,” and then went on to call him “incompetent.” This sharp exchange highlights the increasingly bitter competition between the two political heavyweights.
“Apparently there are no rules any more.” – Gavin Newsom
As discussions surrounding Trump’s future continue, many wonder how his proposed White House ballroom fits into his broader political strategy. Critics have called the ballroom plans ambitious and controversial, a mirror to Trump’s inclination towards large and expensive projects.
Trump continues to maintain that he wants to return to public office, recently boasting that he’s got “the best poll numbers I’ve ever had.” Yet, his ambitions raise troubling questions about the viability of American democracy and the observance of constitutional boundaries.