5
#000000
#FFFFFF
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.
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Trump Brags $1 Billion Ballroom Will Be Home to 'Greatest Drone Empire' Ever Seen to 'Protect Washington'
The president also dismissed the high price of gas caused by his illegal war with Iran, describing it as "peanuts."
May 19, 2026
With his approval ratings hitting a second-term low in recent polling, President Donald Trump decided on Tuesday to show off the progress being made on the luxury ballroom he's building at the White House.
While speaking with reporters outside the White House, Trump boasted that the planned ballroom will "be something incredible" and then explained that it would apparently come with military defense capabilities.
"On top of the roof, we're gonna have the greatest drone empire that you've ever seen," the president said. "And it's gonna protect Washington."
Trump: "This is the ballroom and it's gonna be something incredible. On top of the roof we're gonna have the great drone empire that you've ever seen. And it's gonna protect Washington." pic.twitter.com/rLEPGC2x7W
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2026
A reporter then asked Trump to elaborate on some of the security features in the ballroom.
"The underneath part [of the ballroom]... it's far more complex than the upper," the president responded. "Because what you don't see are the floors that are beneath here. And they have very, very important rooms down there, very, the most important. This was the one opportunity for the military to do something."
After rambling about the ballroom being "ahead of schedule," Trump said it would have "a drone-proof roof, again, it's all sealed, and all of this that you see is totally sealed, and we use it as a drone port, you can have unlimited drones up there, and drones are what's happening right now."
Trump on the ballroom: "They have very very important rooms down there. The most important. This was the one opportunity for the military to do something. We use it as a drone port. You can have unlimited drones up there and drones are what's happening right now." pic.twitter.com/XWzFBNOlmO
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2026
Trump also reiterated his disinterest in Americans’ concerns about his illegal war with Iran raising the price of gas and leading to the highest level of inflation since 2023.
"This is peanuts," Trump said of the price of gas, which as of Tuesday stood at an average of $4.53 per gallon in the US. "And I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while, it won't be much longer... But I don't even think about that. What I think about is you can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon, and they won't have a nuclear weapon."
Trump on high gas prices: "This is peanuts. I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while. But I don't even think about. What I think about is you can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon." pic.twitter.com/XUVyNUpspm
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2026
There is no indication that Iran was anywhere close to having a nuclear weapon at the time Trump launched his war in late February without any authorization from the US Congress.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified under oath before the Senate Select Intelligence Committee last month that Iran’s nuclear weapons program had been “obliterated” by US-led airstrikes that were launched last year, and that there “has been no effort since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability.”
Trump's boasting of the planned defense stockpile also came days after an anonymous White House official claimed to the press that Cuba is preparing to attack the US with drones—an allegation the Cuban government and commentators dismissed as laughable.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
With his approval ratings hitting a second-term low in recent polling, President Donald Trump decided on Tuesday to show off the progress being made on the luxury ballroom he's building at the White House.
While speaking with reporters outside the White House, Trump boasted that the planned ballroom will "be something incredible" and then explained that it would apparently come with military defense capabilities.
"On top of the roof, we're gonna have the greatest drone empire that you've ever seen," the president said. "And it's gonna protect Washington."
Trump: "This is the ballroom and it's gonna be something incredible. On top of the roof we're gonna have the great drone empire that you've ever seen. And it's gonna protect Washington." pic.twitter.com/rLEPGC2x7W
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2026
A reporter then asked Trump to elaborate on some of the security features in the ballroom.
"The underneath part [of the ballroom]... it's far more complex than the upper," the president responded. "Because what you don't see are the floors that are beneath here. And they have very, very important rooms down there, very, the most important. This was the one opportunity for the military to do something."
After rambling about the ballroom being "ahead of schedule," Trump said it would have "a drone-proof roof, again, it's all sealed, and all of this that you see is totally sealed, and we use it as a drone port, you can have unlimited drones up there, and drones are what's happening right now."
Trump on the ballroom: "They have very very important rooms down there. The most important. This was the one opportunity for the military to do something. We use it as a drone port. You can have unlimited drones up there and drones are what's happening right now." pic.twitter.com/XWzFBNOlmO
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2026
Trump also reiterated his disinterest in Americans’ concerns about his illegal war with Iran raising the price of gas and leading to the highest level of inflation since 2023.
"This is peanuts," Trump said of the price of gas, which as of Tuesday stood at an average of $4.53 per gallon in the US. "And I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while, it won't be much longer... But I don't even think about that. What I think about is you can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon, and they won't have a nuclear weapon."
Trump on high gas prices: "This is peanuts. I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while. But I don't even think about. What I think about is you can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon." pic.twitter.com/XUVyNUpspm
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2026
There is no indication that Iran was anywhere close to having a nuclear weapon at the time Trump launched his war in late February without any authorization from the US Congress.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified under oath before the Senate Select Intelligence Committee last month that Iran’s nuclear weapons program had been “obliterated” by US-led airstrikes that were launched last year, and that there “has been no effort since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability.”
Trump's boasting of the planned defense stockpile also came days after an anonymous White House official claimed to the press that Cuba is preparing to attack the US with drones—an allegation the Cuban government and commentators dismissed as laughable.
From Your Site Articles
- 'We Need the Ballroom': Trump Uses Shooting Outside White House Correspondents' Dinner to Boost Corrupt Project ›
- The Gilded Lie: Trump’s Ballroom, a Ballooning Deficit, and the Reign of Useful Splendor ›
- Trump Sons Accused of Trying to Profit Off Father’s Iran War With Drone Investment ›
Related Articles Around the Web
With his approval ratings hitting a second-term low in recent polling, President Donald Trump decided on Tuesday to show off the progress being made on the luxury ballroom he's building at the White House.
While speaking with reporters outside the White House, Trump boasted that the planned ballroom will "be something incredible" and then explained that it would apparently come with military defense capabilities.
"On top of the roof, we're gonna have the greatest drone empire that you've ever seen," the president said. "And it's gonna protect Washington."
Trump: "This is the ballroom and it's gonna be something incredible. On top of the roof we're gonna have the great drone empire that you've ever seen. And it's gonna protect Washington." pic.twitter.com/rLEPGC2x7W
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2026
A reporter then asked Trump to elaborate on some of the security features in the ballroom.
"The underneath part [of the ballroom]... it's far more complex than the upper," the president responded. "Because what you don't see are the floors that are beneath here. And they have very, very important rooms down there, very, the most important. This was the one opportunity for the military to do something."
After rambling about the ballroom being "ahead of schedule," Trump said it would have "a drone-proof roof, again, it's all sealed, and all of this that you see is totally sealed, and we use it as a drone port, you can have unlimited drones up there, and drones are what's happening right now."
Trump on the ballroom: "They have very very important rooms down there. The most important. This was the one opportunity for the military to do something. We use it as a drone port. You can have unlimited drones up there and drones are what's happening right now." pic.twitter.com/XWzFBNOlmO
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2026
Trump also reiterated his disinterest in Americans’ concerns about his illegal war with Iran raising the price of gas and leading to the highest level of inflation since 2023.
"This is peanuts," Trump said of the price of gas, which as of Tuesday stood at an average of $4.53 per gallon in the US. "And I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while, it won't be much longer... But I don't even think about that. What I think about is you can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon, and they won't have a nuclear weapon."
Trump on high gas prices: "This is peanuts. I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while. But I don't even think about. What I think about is you can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon." pic.twitter.com/XUVyNUpspm
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2026
There is no indication that Iran was anywhere close to having a nuclear weapon at the time Trump launched his war in late February without any authorization from the US Congress.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified under oath before the Senate Select Intelligence Committee last month that Iran’s nuclear weapons program had been “obliterated” by US-led airstrikes that were launched last year, and that there “has been no effort since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability.”
Trump's boasting of the planned defense stockpile also came days after an anonymous White House official claimed to the press that Cuba is preparing to attack the US with drones—an allegation the Cuban government and commentators dismissed as laughable.
From Your Site Articles
- 'We Need the Ballroom': Trump Uses Shooting Outside White House Correspondents' Dinner to Boost Corrupt Project ›
- The Gilded Lie: Trump’s Ballroom, a Ballooning Deficit, and the Reign of Useful Splendor ›
- Trump Sons Accused of Trying to Profit Off Father’s Iran War With Drone Investment ›
Related Articles Around the Web
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.