President Donald Trump renewed his push for a new White House ballroom following Saturday's assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. However, Kalshi markets suggest the project may not be completed during his term.
The market for the completion of President Trump's new 90,000-square-foot ballroom prices the project being finished before 2029 at 41% and before 2030 at 55%. The price for completion before 2027 stands at 8.5% and before 2028 at 9.1%.
The new ballroom
President Trump's $400 million construction project began last summer with the demolition of the White House's East Wing without any congressional review.
Axios reported that a federal judge put a temporary injunction on the project at the end of March, saying that the president is only a "steward" of the White House, not its "owner."
Mediaite reported that the president posted a lengthy defense of the project on his Truth Social account, calling the "large, safe, and secure Ballroom" a matter of security.
The Justice Department filed a new motion demanding that the injunction be lifted. ABC News reported that the filing accused the plaintiffs of suffering from "TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME" and described the judge's ruling as "intolerable," "unsustainable," and "indefensible."
New ballroom legislation
Some congressional Republicans joined President Trump's call for the completion of the ballroom, even introducing legislation to speed up the project.
The New York Times reported that Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced legislation that would provide $400 million in taxpayer funding for the ballroom's construction costs. Rep. Lauren Boebert and Sen. Rand Paul also planned to introduce or support legislation to speed up the project.
The funding push does not have support from every congressional Republican. USA Today reported that Sen. Rick Scott objected to the funding proposal for the new ballroom, citing the "$39 trillion in debt" from deficit spending.
Kalshi traders are also tracking the chances of such legislation becoming law this year. The price for White House ballroom funding legislation sits at 20%. However, trading volume on the market, which was only recently added, remains low.
The takeaway:
Kalshi markets now predict:
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