Blumenthal Demands Answers from White House Chief of Staff After New Reporting Reveals $900 Million Price Tag for Donald Trump's Renovations to the White House

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), today demanded answers from White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles about the ballooning costs associated with renovations to the White House and surrounding grounds. Blumenthal sent the letter today to Wiles amid new reporting in the Washington Post that detailed a significant increase in the projected cost of various projects that President Trump has directed to take place on the White House grounds, totaling $927 million, with taxpayers set to pay much of the multimillion-dollar sum. Seeking information regarding the reconstruction and renovation of the White House and surrounding grounds, Blumenthal wrote, “This astronomical expenditure, which has not been approved by Congress, has been rushed through unconventional means under incredible secrecy. A project of this cost and significance demands oversight and accountability to determine not just how funds are being spent but whether any rules were violated in the President’s haste to complete his chief vanity project.” Pointing to the costs associated with various projects undertaken by the White House, including a massive ballroom, repairs to an adjacent park, construction of a new visitor screening facility, and construction of a new helipad, Blumenthal continued, “ This new calculation dwarfs previous estimates provided by the President, and the accompanying reporting details how taxpayers will be expected to fund more than half of that amount. It also directly contradicts numerous statements by the President, who has repeatedly insisted that construction costs would be paid by private donors and himself personally, at no cost to taxpayers. ” Blumenthal raised concerns about the Trump Administration’s use of no-bid contracts for many of the projects and its redirection of Congressionally-appropriated funding to benefit the President’s vanity projects: “The reporting also details the extraordinary measures that the Trump Administration has undertaken to apparently circumvent traditional contracting practices and basic transparency by routing the contracts for construction projects through the Executive Residence, which has no experience with these kinds of large-scale projects and typically handles routine maintenance projects for the White House and its grounds. Importantly, contracts originating out of the Executive Residence are not forced to undergo the same contract bidding rules or public disclosure requirements as other federally funded projects.” As Ranking Member of PSI, Blumenthal is leading an inquiry into waste, fraud, and abuse associated with the White House ballroom and other projects throughout the nation’s capital. The full text of Blumenthal’s letter to Wiles is available here and below. Dear Ms. Wiles, I write regarding new reports that the estimated cost of renovations to the White House and surrounding grounds, including the construction of a lavash ballroom, has swelled yet again. [1] This new estimate shows that the cost of these projects will potentially surpass $900 million, and that much of this sum will come directly from taxpayers. [2] This astronomical expenditure, which has not been approved by Congress, has been rushed through unconventional means under incredible secrecy. A project of this cost and significance demands oversight and accountability to determine not just how funds are being spent but whether any rules were violated in the President’s haste to complete his chief vanity project. As part of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation’s (“the Subcommittee”) inquiry into the waste, fraud, and abuse associated with the White House ballroom, I request documents and information regarding the re-construction and renovation of the White House and surrounding grounds, and the Executive Office of the President’s role in facilitating this project. New reporting from the Washington Post details a significant increase in the projected cost of various projects that President Trump has directed to take place on the White House grounds, totaling $927 million. [3] This includes the construction of a massive and ostentatious ballroom, repairs to an adjacent park, the construction of a new visitor screening facility, and the construction of a new helipad, among other things. This new calculation dwarfs previous estimates provided by the President, and the accompanying reporting details how taxpayers will be expected to fund more than half of that amount. [4] It also directly contradicts numerous statements by the President, who has repeatedly insisted that construction costs would be paid by private donors and himself personally, at no cost to taxpayers. [5] The reporting also details the extraordinary measures that the Trump Administration has undertaken to apparently circumvent traditional contracting practices and basic transparency by routing the contracts for construction projects through the Executive Residence, which has no experience with these kinds of large-scale projects and typically handles routine maintenance projects for the White House and its grounds. [6] Importantly, contracts originating out of the Executive Residence are not forced to undergo the same contract bidding rules or public disclosure requirements as other federally funded projects. [7] According to the reporting, while in the past Congress had appropriated $2.5 million to the repair and maintenance account for the Executive Residence, “[s]ince Trump took office, the administration has directed $875 million” to that same account, $415 million of which was re-directed from Secret Service funding. [8] The White House is the people’s house, and the President is merely a steward of that important piece of American heritage while he resides there. The American people deserve transparency about the changes that he plans to make and the taxpayer funding that he plans to use. Pursuant to Senate Rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate and Senate Resolution 94 (119th Cong.), Section 12, I write to request that you provide the Subcommittee with the following information by August 27, 2026: Provide a detailed description of all completed, planned, or otherwise anticipated projects that have been undertaken or will be undertaken on the White House grounds since January 20, 2025, including projected costs, contract details, and an explanation for the funding mechanism that will be used for each project. Provide a detailed description of the Executive Office of the President’s role in approving expenditures and contracts for projects originating out of the Executive Residence, including the individuals who are responsible for reviewing and granting contracts, and individuals who are charged with overseeing the design and completion of these projects. Provide a list of all contracts that have been granted, or that have been planned by the Executive Residence since January 20, 2025, including a description of the project, the date of the contract issuance, the contractor, and whether the contract was competitively bid. Provide a complete list of all private entities that have donated funds either directly to the Executive Residence account, or whose funds were indirectly donated but were then re-directed to the Executive Residence account since January 20, 2025. Please contact Subcommittee staff should you have any questions about responding to this request. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, -30- [1] Jonathan O’Connell & Sarah Blaskey, Trump administration set to spend at least $900 million on White House construction , Wash. Post (Aug. 12, 2026), https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/08/12/trump-administration-set-spend-least-900-million-white-house-construction/. [2] Id. [3] Id. [4] Jonathan O’Connell & Sarah Blaskey, Trump administration set to spend at least $900 million on White House construction , Wash. Post (Aug. 12, 2026), https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/08/12/trump-administration-set-spend-least-900-million-white-house-construction/; Johnathan O’Connell et. al., Trump Said No Taxpayer Money Would Be Spent on the Ballroom. a Contractor’s Invoices Show Otherwise , Wash. Post (June 16, 2026), https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/06/16/records-reveal-600m-estimate-trumps-ballroom-project-with-half-taxpayers/. [5] Jonathan Edwards & Aaron Schaffer, A Year of Trump Insisting His Ballroom Won’t Cost Taxpayers a Dime , Wash. Post (June 17, 2026), https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2026/06/16/tracking-trumps-white-house-ballroom-promises-taxpayer-costs-more/.jghgjgh [6] Jonathan O’Connell & Sarah Blaskey, Trump administration set to spend at least $900 million on White House construction , Wash. Post (Aug. 12, 2026), https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/08/12/trump-administration-set-spend-least-900-million-white-house-construction/. [7] Id. [8] Id.