Trump celebrates his hand-picked panel giving him exactly what he wanted
The Commission of Fine Arts, composed entirely of Donald Trump allies, unanimously approved the president's controversial 90,000-square-foot ballroom project on Thursday. Trump immediately celebrated the decision on Truth Social.
According to the Washington Post, the commission's unanimous vote proceeded despite potential legal challenges and concerns from watchdog groups regarding project financing and costs.
The Post reported, "While the commissions have historically served as a check on the government's building projects—some of which prompted months or years of panel deliberations—Thursday's vote represents the latest example of Trump bending federal processes as he seeks to rush his ballroom project from design to completion."
Trump posted on Truth Social: "The Commission of Fine Arts just approved, unanimously, 6 to 0, with one recusal because he had a conflict in that he worked professionally on the job, the White House Ballroom. Great accolades were paid to the building's beauty and scale. Thank you to the members of the Commission! President DJT."
The commission's vote reflected a stark divergence from public sentiment. More than 2,000 comments were submitted to the agency in the week preceding Thursday's vote, with more than 99 percent opposing the project, according to commission staff secretary Thomas Luebke.
Public concerns centered on the accelerated approval process, insufficient public input, and the proposed building's size and design potentially overshadowing the main White House structure.
You can read more from the Post here.