More than half of Americans oppose US President Donald Trump’s plan to construct a ballroom on the White House grounds, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by The Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos, found that 56% of respondents oppose the project, while just under three in ten support it.
Another 16% said they were unsure or skipped the question.
The figures are unchanged from a similar poll conducted in October 2025, indicating that public opinion on the proposal has remained steady.
The latest survey was conducted among 1,292 US adults and carries a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
Shooting incident during WHCA dinner
The poll was conducted from last Friday through Tuesday, overlapping with a shooting incident near the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
According to The Hill, an armed man attempted to breach a security checkpoint one floor above where Trump, administration officials, lawmakers and journalists were gathered.
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The suspect, identified as Cole Allen, 31, exchanged gunfire with law enforcement but did not reach the event area. He has since been charged with attempting to assassinate the president, along with firearms-related offences.
Trump defends ballroom as security need
In the aftermath of the incident, Trump emphasized his support for the ballroom project, framing it as a security necessity.
“What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement… have been demanding that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built on the grounds of the White House,” he wrote on Truth Social.
He added that the incident “would never have happened” if the proposed ballroom had already been in place.
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The proposal has also sparked political debate over funding. Trump had earlier said the project would be financed through $300 million in private donations. However, a group of Republican senators, including Lindsey Graham, has introduced legislation to allocate $400 million in taxpayer funds for the project, alongside additional security infrastructure such as a Secret Service annex.
John Thune said the proposal may be delayed as lawmakers prioritise negotiations over Department of Homeland Security funding.