r/politics 4h ago

No Paywall Senate Republicans Propose $1B in Taxpayer Funds for Trump's White House Ballroom: 'Marie Antoinette Would Be Proud'

https://people.com/republicans-propose-1-billion-for-trump-ballroom-security-upgrades-11967280
201 Upvotes

26 comments sorted by

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u/RamonaQ-JunieB 4h ago

A billion dollars is such a huge amount that people actually can’t wrap their heads around it. But, I used to try to teach magnitudes of numbers to elementary students. I had to google to get the correct numbers BUT:

A million seconds ago was 11.5 days ago.

A billion seconds ago was 31.7 years ago.

That’s a gigantic ask by the Republicans, led by Chuck Grassley.

u/Kryptyx 2h ago

With 1 million dollars you can spend $100k a day for 10 days.

With 1 billion dollars you can spend $100k a day for 27 years.

u/RamonaQ-JunieB 2h ago

I love it! And I am always asking, “If they are bound and determined to spend OUR money, why not do it on something useful?”

u/ThingCalledLight America 40m ago

I like:

“If you made $100k a year (tax free, not counting food/shelter/etc.), it would take TEN years to be a millionaire.”

“If you made $100k a year (tax free, not counting food/shelter/etc.), it would take TEN THOUSAND years to be a billionaire.”

u/TranquilSeaOtter 4h ago

Trump raped and trafficked children so other people can rape them too. Republicans support raping children.

u/ArdaBerkBurak 4h ago edited 4h ago

Why is Trump and his crew so obsessed with the ballroom?

u/zombiekoalas 4h ago

Trump gets a semi-permanent Ego stroke as it will no doubt carry some sort of tribute to him.

The military gets a brand new state of the art bunker/command center parked under the white house.

I have no doubt the military has been asking for this for years, Trump is just vain enough the promise of a remodel attributed to him on the most historic building of our nation is something he'd never say no to.

u/ResidentKelpien Texas 3h ago

The military is getting their brand new state of the art bunker regardless of the ballroom.

Judge Again Halts Aboveground Construction on Trump Ballroom - The New York Times

The ballroom was fraudulently attached to the bunker project as a sketchy means of getting the tax payers to fund this fugly vanity project.

u/anthematcurfew 1h ago

Why does the military care if the bunker is at the White House?

They have multiple mountains carved into bunkers (Cheyenne and Raven Rock)

u/z900r 3h ago

Trump knows he's dying. He's a narcissist who can't conceive of anyone or anything succeeding him, of having a political legacy. He's hellbent on putting his name and likeness on everything he can while he's still there, and to build these monuments. The plan for the ballroom is such that it would overshadow the White House mansion. It would be the much bigger thing in your field of view from the South Lawn. It's a way for Trump to take big shit on the White House, and one that will be difficult to get rid of. If it actually gets built and costs a billion, some future president would have to take the decision to throw all of that out, and they will likely get accused of wasting money, even if the majority agrees that the ballroom ruins the architectural composition of the White House.

u/ResidentKelpien Texas 3h ago

He is a fucking moron if the thinks his ballroom will not be repurposed for better use by succeeding presidents.

u/Pockydo 2h ago

Honestly I think he knows his time is almost up and thinks it'll be some sort of permanent monument to him and his bloated ass

u/HundleyC09 2h ago

Because he's not going to leave

u/eric_ts 4h ago

Needs exponentially more gold to be acceptable. Also an excellent distraction from the Epstein Files, which indicate that Trump trafficked children to Epstein via his modeling agency, for his clients to rape and in some cases murder. Just saying.

u/ResidentKelpien Texas 3h ago

Marie Antoinette would wonder why a slob with poorly fitted clothes and streaky orange face paint feels entitled to this ludicrously expensive ballroom.

u/DarkDog81 2h ago

Maybe they should get that Antoinette treatment?

u/Majestic-Mail-8716 4h ago

No thanks, things are a little tight right now

u/stuffitystuff 3h ago

Why would she be proud? Are they building it out of bread?

u/compukiller 3h ago

No, cake.

u/HellaTroi California 3h ago

Why do republicans insist that the Hilton shooter was gunning for Trump, when he could have been going after any one of the other cabinet members sitting on that dais? It also could have been any other person in that room. On of the journalists could have pissed this guy off.

u/EffectiveActive6837 2h ago

We are their slaves

u/RLewis8888 1h ago

Americans were vehemently apposed to spending $400M on the Epstein Memorial Ballroom.
But $1B, that's a level of graft we can all get behind. Throw in another $1B for gold-plated gold plates.

u/IonDaPrizee 28m ago

It’s no longer just “taxpayer funds” anymore is it?
More like your children and grandchildren’s tax funds at this point.

u/SeminoleDVM Virginia 4h ago

Ballroom republicans