he $200 million White House ballroom is real: announced July 31, 2025, as a ~90,000-sq-ft venue seating about 650, with officials saying it will be privately funded by Trump and donors. Coverage notes criticism over cost, purpose, and optics.
Claims that Trump is “covering the White House in gold” are exaggerated, but credible reporting confirms added gold accents in the Oval Office and elsewhere, executed by cabinetmaker John Icart (Trump’s Mar-a-Lago “gold guy”).
Separately, the One Big Beautiful Bill includes historic SNAP cuts. Analyses estimate millions will be affected; one Urban Institute model projects 22.3 million families losing some or all benefits, and CBPP calls it the deepest SNAP cut in history.
Speculation that the ballroom signals a third term is just that—speculation. The 22nd Amendment caps presidents at two elected terms, and legal scholars dismiss “loophole” theories as implausible.