WASHINGTON — Dem Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego trolled President Trump on Sunday over the new White House ballroom — suggesting Democrats rename it after former President Barack Obama when they’re back in power.
Gallego, asked on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” whether his party should tear down the ballroom if they get the chance, responded, “No.
“I think to really mess with [Trump], just name it the Barack Obama ballroom,” the pol said.
On Friday, Trump denied rumors that he intended to name the sprawling, gold-adorned ballroom after himself.
“I don’t have any plan to call it after myself — that was fake news,” Trump told reporters before jetting off to Asia.
“We’re probably going to call it the Presidential Ballroom or something like that,” he said. “We haven’t really thought about a name yet.”
During the Obama administration, Trump repeatedly offered to pony up $100 million as a private citizen for the construction of a glamorous, golden White House ballroom but was laughed off. After winning his second term as president, Trump made it clear that he wants to build a ballroom.
Last week, construction crews demolished the White House’s East Wing, the domain of the first lady, which was built in the early 1900s before being expanded under Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In July, Trump had claimed that the ballroom would be installed in a way that “won’t interfere with the current building.
“It’ll be near it but not touching it,” he said.
While the East Wing is generally an afterthought compared to the White House’s celebrated West Wing, its teardown prompted outrage from Democrats, who fumed that Trump took bulldozers to the historic complex without consulting Congress.
“First of all, he should not have done that. It’s the people’s house,” Gallego said. “Number two, where is the president? He’s focusing on the ballroom. He’s focused on everything. But he’s not focused on what’s happening right now.”
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Gallego has stoked 2028 presidential buzz for himself, visiting a handful of early voting states in recent months.
“First, I got to take care of three kids and deal with, you know, getting us through 2026, bringing back inflation down, making sure that 24 million Americans do not have their insurance rates double starting November 1st,” Gallego said of his possible presidential aspirations.
“And then maybe, maybe all after that, I’ll start thinking about something like that.”
The ballroom project is meanwhile estimated to cost $300 million, with the new glitzy ballroom able to accommodate 900 people. Trump is also personally helping to foot the bill, alongside a hodgepodge of donors.
The president has argued that a ballroom is necessary for the US to be able to host world leaders at the White House without using outdoor tents.
Despite the current heavy onslaught of slings and arrows from Democrats, many alumni of the Obama and Biden administrations have privately acknowledged the need for a ballroom, according to a Washington Post editorial.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Post request for comment Sunday.
