Trump Blasts Republicans For Not Firing Senate Staffer Over Ballroom Funding Dispute

BreakingBusinessTrump Blasts Republicans For Not Firing Senate Staffer Over Ballroom Funding DisputeBySara Dorn,Forbes Staff. Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics.Follow AuthorMay 20, 2026, 12:03pm EDTToplinePresident Donald Trump called for Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to be fired on Wednesday after her ruling over the weekend complicated Republicans’ path to approving $1 billion in funding for Trump’s White House ballroom—his latest show of anger against any resistance to his controversial pet project. President Donald Trump speaks to the media alongside posters of his proposed White House ballroom amid construction at the White House on May 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Senate parliamentarian ruled this week that taxpayer funds in the budget reconciliation package cannot be used for a $1 billion provision intended to fund security for Trump’s White House ballroom. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey FactsTrump questioned why MacDonough, a nonpartisan Senate referee, has not been replaced, and accused Republicans of playing a “very soft game compared to the Dumocrats [sic],” including allowing “the Elizabeth MacDonoughs of the World to stay in power, and brutalize us,” he wrote on Truth Social.Trump didn’t mention the ballroom in the post, but criticized MacDonough and Republicans over his voter ID bill, which has been stalled in the Senate after MacDonough ruled it can’t be passed by a simple majority through the budget reconciliation process and would instead be subject to the 60-vote filibuster threshold. MacDonough made the same ruling regarding a request for funding for Trump’s ballroom project over the weekend. Trump also repeated his call for Republicans to eliminate the filibuster. This is a developing story and will be updated.Got a tip? Share confidential information with Forbes.Editorial StandardsReprints & PermissionsLOADING VIDEO PLAYER...FORBES’ FEATURED Video