Donald Trump had a furious reaction to a female reporter who asked him a question about his White House ballroom, calling her a “dumb person.”
On Tuesday, Trump was answering questions from reporters when he got onto one of his favourite subjects at the moment – his ballroom dream.
The US president has proposed building a large new ballroom connected to the White House East Wing, adding an estimated 90,000 square feet of space.
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The ballroom would accommodate around 1,000 guests for state dinners, ceremonies, and official events, with Trump’s administration claiming it is required because the current White House lacks sufficient space for major functions. They also argue the ballroom would improve security and modernise facilities.
The proposal has sparked controversy though for a variety of reasons. Along with significantly altering part of the historic White House complex, critics argue the expansion is too large, expensive, and inconsistent with the building’s historical character.
Estimated costs range from about $200 million to more than $400 million, with debate over whether funding would come from taxpayers or private donors.
Nevertheless, Trump wants to plough ahead with the development, and told reporters that it would be “under budget.”
“It’s going up right here. I doubled the size of it because we obviously need that,” he said.
“We’re on budget, under budget and ahead of schedule.”
A reporter then asked Trump if doubling the size of the ballroom would also mean the prize would be double.
The question prompted a furious reaction from the 79-year-old, who snapped back at the reporter: “I doubled the size of it, you dumb person. I doubled the size. You are not a smart person.”
A completely unhinged man.