WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump expressed his dream of transforming the White House experience for guests, wishing they could dance in a lavish ballroom instead of navigating a crowded East Room.

During a speech in the East Room on Wednesday, Trump addressed a diverse audience, including elected officials and young attendees, all gathered under sparkling chandeliers to witness him sign an executive order aimed at restricting transgender women and girls from competing in women’s sports.

“This room is packed,” he noted.

This remark sparked a memory of a proposal he had made in the past.

“You know, I had suggested we could create a ballroom right here,” he declared. “A beautiful, beautiful ballroom.”

Unfortunately, he mentioned that he didn’t receive any feedback from the “administration,” indicating that his idea was not taken up by his predecessor.

The East Room, which is roughly 3,000 square feet, is the largest of the State Rooms in the White House and is unique in spanning the entire width of the executive mansion. Originally conceived by James Hoban and George Washington, it was intended to serve as a “Public Audience Room,” as noted by the White House Historical Association. It is a venue for dances, receptions, concerts, and press conferences.

“This was going to be the reception room,” he explained, referring to his vision for an updated East Room that would connect to the proposed ballroom.

He envisioned creating a ballroom similar to the one at Mar-a-Lago, his estate in Florida, which boasts 20,000 square feet, with an estimated cost of $100 million.

Trump claimed to have presented this idea to the Biden Administration, although specific details about the potential ballroom’s location within the White House were not provided.

“I offered to do it,” he remarked. “And I never received a response.”

YSL News reached out to officials from the Biden Administration for their input but received no immediate response.

Trump’s proposal was not new; he had approached other presidents with the same idea.

In 2016, the White House confirmed to YSL News that Trump proposed spending $100 million on a new ballroom while Barack Obama was in office, but that proposal was promptly dismissed.

During his initial 2016 campaign, Trump criticized hosting foreign dignitaries in tents at the White House, deeming it inappropriate. Last year, a state dinner was held in a tent for Kenyan President William Ruto.

Tented state dinners have a long history on the White House grounds, dating back decades. For instance, in 1976, President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford hosted Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for a visit commemorating the American Bicentennial, as noted by the White House Historical Society.

Now that he’s back in the White House, Trump told the audience, “I’m going to try making the offer to myself, you know. Because we could use a bigger room, right?”

However, bringing this vision to life may require more than just his desire.

The responsibility for funding repairs and maintenance of the White House and its grounds lies with Congress, according to the White House Historical Society. Their appropriations are limited to repairs and furnishings only.

When a new president takes office, Congress grants an allowance of $100,000 for refurbishing the private residence and the Oval Office. For Trump to move forward with his plans, he would also need the approval of the National Park Service, as noted by historian Douglas Brinkley.

“The National Mall and the White House grounds, it’s sacred ground,” remarked Brinkley. “Securing permission for this would be challenging.”

If Trump were to gain support from former presidents Biden, Clinton, Obama, and Bush, Brinkley suggested, “It would certainly help.”

However, he added, “It’s uncertain whether they would support this ‘build baby, build’ initiative.”

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy serves as a White House Correspondent. Follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal