Democrats try to corner Republicans on $1 billion proposal for Trump’s ballroom: From the Politics Desk

From the Politics DeskDemocrats try to corner Republicans on $1 billion proposal for Trump’s ballroom: From the Politics DeskPlus, MAGA world fights over the “hottest ticket in town.”Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Cranes being used in the construction of a White House ballroom on April 1. Celal Gunes / Anadolu via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 11, 2026, 6:04 PM EDTBy The Politics DeskWelcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In today’s edition, Sahil Kapur previews how Democrats plan to attack Republicans over their next big reconciliation bill. Plus, we explore why seemingly everyone in MAGA world is desperate for a ticket to this summer’s UFC fight at the White House. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.— Adam WollnerDemocrats try to corner Republicans on $1 billion proposal for Trump’s ballroomAnalysis by Sahil KapurWhen Republicans released their $72 billion party-line bill to fund ICE and the Border Patrol, they included a provision to spend $1 billion in taxpayer funds for security tied to President Donald Trump’s ballroom project.The legislation says the $1 billion is reserved “for the purposes of security adjustments and upgrades, including within the perimeter fence of the White House Compound to support enhancements by the United States Secret Service relating to the East Wing Modernization Project, including above-ground and below-ground security features.”“East Wing Modernization Project” is the official term for the ballroom, a word that doesn’t appear in the bill, after Trump had the East Wing demolished in October to make way for the renovation. Now, Democrats are zeroing in on it as they plot their offensive against the Republican bill.“That is...