Trump said private donors were covering his $400 million ballroom. One shooting later, Republicans are asking taxpayers to pay for it

Top Republicans are now pushing for taxpayers to cover the $400 million cost of President Donald Trump‘s long-stalled White House ballroom project, despite Trump’s earlier claims that it would be entirely privately funded. The shift comes after a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, which led many lawmakers to frame the ballroom as a national security need.

According to The Independent, Sen. Lindsey Graham was among the first Republicans to change his position, citing security concerns. “It’s very difficult to have a bunch of important people in the same place unless it’s really, really secure,” Graham told reporters on Monday. “The times in which we live are unusual. I’ve been up here for a while now. I’ve never felt the sense of threat that exists today.”

Graham’s position was backed by Sens. Eric Schmitt and Katie Britt, who are pushing a bill to fund the ballroom using customs and national parks user fees, rather than direct taxpayer appropriations. The proposal also includes building new military and Secret Service infrastructure within the ballroom complex.

Republicans pushing taxpayer funding for Trump’s ballroom contradicts the White House’s earlier promise of private donations

The White House had previously said that major tech corporations, including companies that do business with the federal government and donated to Trump’s inauguration, had committed millions toward funding the ballroom. However, those private commitments now appear to be less firm than the president had suggested. This comes at a time when Trump has also been backing other headline-grabbing rebranding efforts across his administration.

The ballroom project has faced serious legal challenges. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued to stop construction, arguing that Trump illegally began the project without consulting Congress. A federal appeals court recently ruled that construction can continue while the lawsuit plays out.

Rep. Lauren Boebert told the MeidasTouch network that “hardly any” taxpayer money would be involved in the effort. But other lawmakers have voiced opposition, raising concerns about the project’s cost and its potential impact on the White House’s historic character.

The ballroom has polled poorly with the American public, with some polls showing opposition by as much as 18 points, according to CNN. Despite this, Trump has remained committed to the project and views it as an important part of his legacy. Reports show that Trump used the Correspondents’ Dinner shooting as a $400 million sales pitch almost immediately after the incident.

One critic pushed back on the security framing being used to revive the project, saying, “It looks a lot like those around the president are trying to capitalize on this weekend’s scare to sell something that’s of great personal importance to Trump.” The ballroom project had been stuck in limbo for years before the Correspondents’ Dinner shooting brought it back into the political conversation.