GOP bill would fund $1B in White House security upgrades for Trump's
ballroom
[May 06, 2026]
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have added $1 billion in White
House security upgrades to legislation that would fund immigration
enforcement agencies, a proposed boost for President Donald Trump’s
ballroom project after a man was charged with trying to assassinate him
at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner last week.
The GOP bill released late Monday would designate the money for the U.S.
Secret Service for “security adjustments and upgrades” related to the
ballroom project, which Trump and Republicans have been pushing since
Cole Tomas Allen allegedly stormed the April 25 media dinner at the
Washington Hilton with guns and knives. The legislation says the money
would support enhancements to the ballroom project, “including
above-ground and below-ground security features,” but also specifies
that the money may not be used for non-security elements.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle praised Republicans for including
the money for the “long overdue” project, saying it would “provide the
United States Secret Service with the resources they need to fully and
completely harden the White House complex, in addition to the many other
critical missions for the USSS.”
The money is part of a larger bill to pay for Immigration and Customs
Enforcement and Border Patrol, as Democrats have been blocking funds for
both agencies since mid-February. Congress passed bipartisan legislation
to fund the rest of the Homeland Security Department on April 30 after a
record-long shutdown, but Republicans are using a partisan budget
maneuver to push through the ICE and Border Patrol dollars on their own.
The House has not released its bill yet, but the Senate is expected to
start voting on its version of the legislation next week.
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It is unclear exactly how the $1 billion would be used, and the
amount far exceeds the proposed $400 million for construction of the
ballroom. The White House has said in court documents that the East
Wing project would be “heavily fortified,” including bomb shelters,
military installations and a medical facility underneath the
ballroom. Trump has said it should include bulletproof glass and be
able to repel drone attacks.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued to block
construction of the project, but a federal appeals court said last
month that it can continue in the meantime.
The White House has said that private money would pay for the
construction but public money would be used for security measures.
Some Republicans have suggested that public money pay for all of it,
arguing the security breach at the dinner shows the president needs
a secure place to host events.
“It would be insane” to hold the dinner at a hotel again, said
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who introduced a
bill to pay for the ballroom’s construction with Sen. Katie Britt,
R-Ala.
Democrats have said they will oppose any efforts to pay for the
ballroom.
“While Americans are struggling to make ends meet as a result of
President Trump’s failed policies, Republicans are focused on
providing tens of billions of dollars for the President’s vanity
ballroom project and cruel mass deportation campaign,” said Illinois
Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary
Committee, which oversees the U.S. Secret Service.
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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this
report.
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