Trump offers Xi state dinner guests first-ever tour of ballroom construction site: ‘Special treat’

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Donald Trump couldn’t help but offer guests at his state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping a first-ever tour of his ballroom construction site.

The president loves to boast to the White House press corps and his Truth Social followers about his passion projects around Washington, D.C., especially the massive White House ballroom being built. Now, in front of an international audience, Trump has offered to share a glimpse of what he called a “clean and sparkly” construction site.

“And if I could go off script just for a second,” Trump said as dinner guests in the East Room of the White House laughed. “But as a special treat in honor of President Xi and Madame [Liyuan] Peng. I'd like to invite everyone in the room to visit through that beautiful curtain in the back.”

“It's one year away from completion — the new ballroom that you've heard about, and you will see something that I think you will really love.”

The 90,000-square-foot golden ballroom will fit 650 seats, compared to the 200 seats in the East Room. Trump has said construction will cost about $400 million and that he and other donors would pay for it.

But the project’s contractor told the administration that it would cost $600 million, with at least half expected to be covered by taxpayers, The Washington Post reported in June.

The Trump administration has also been challenged in court over whether it had the authority to tear down the East Wing last October to build the ballroom without Congressional approval. The Supreme Court ruled last month that the president can continue with construction for the time being.

“You'll be the first people to step foot on that, and we'll do that maybe after we're finished with the entertainment tonight. Anybody [who] wants to walk into a construction site that's nice and clean and sparkly, it's our honor to have you do so,” Trump told his dinner guests.

The official delegations from the US and China attended the state dinner. Some notable names on the guest list included first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Trump was photographed next to Melania while waiting to greet Xi and his wife Peng at the White House ahead of the dinner. Makeup was caked on his left hand, which he often uses to cover up bruising.

The Trump administration has said the black and blue on the back of his hands is due to frequent handshaking and aspirin use.

Several of America’s tech leaders, such as SpaceX’s Elon Musk, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, were also in attendance Thursday night amid an AI race with China.

During the legal fight to build his ballroom, Trump argued that it was needed for national security. Underneath the East Wing sits a bunker dating back to 1942, after the U.S. entered World War II. In court filings, the Trump administration noted that bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility would be added to the bunker during construction.

So when Trump suggested officials from China, an adversary of the U.S., tour the construction site, it raised some eyebrows.

“Of the security bunker? Seems suboptimal,” Reuters journalist Charlie Szymanski wrote on Bluesky.

“Guided tour of the super secure and classified military ballroom for officials of a foreign unfriendly nation. Totally reasonable,” another Bluesky user, Jeff Domingues, posted.

One X user wrote, “Let’s take the leader of China into the ballroom that doubles as a military bunker! Great idea Don!”

Melania led the preparations for the state dinner, which included a menu that the White House said had a “subtle Chinese influence.” For the main course, guests enjoyed sesame-crusted sea bass and braised baby bok choy.

Entertainment for the night was headlined by Christopher Macchio, a classically trained tenor who performed at Trump’s second inauguration. Guests were also treated to performances by military ensembles.

“Thank you, Mr. President and Mrs. Trump, for extending to my wife and me your gracious hospitality and thoughtful arrangements,” Xi said at the dinner through an interpreter. “You make us feel truly at home.”

“I would also like to extend my sincere greetings to Americans from all sectors of society who care about China-U.S. relations and support the further growth of our bilateral ties.”