U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday (March 29) that the planned White House ballroom was "ahead of schedule and under budget" despite a lawsuit that seeks to halt the project.

Trump showed off new renderings of the ballroom as he defended the project, which required the demolition of the White House East Wing. "We're doing very well, so we're ahead of schedule," Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Washington on Sunday evening after a weekend at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

The ballroom has faced legal and political challenges, including a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation alleging the administration bypassed required reviews and public input. A federal judge has said he will decide by the end of March whether to issue an injunction halting the project while the lawsuit proceeds.

No firm completion date has been given but the White House has said it will be "long before the end" of Trump's term.

The president on Sunday described the ballroom as a "shed" for a "massive" military complex being built underneath. The ballroom will have "high-grade, bullet-proof" glass windows and a drone-proof roof, he said.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

IN AIR (MARCH 29, 2026) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

1. U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP GREETING REPORTERS ONBOARD AIR FORCE ONE

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING (English):

“I did something today. We just got these in from the architects. A lot of people are talking about how beautiful the ballroom is after 150 years. They've wanted to build a ballroom at the White House, and other presidents have wanted it. When we have dignitaries coming, like President Xi of China or anybody else, we have very small rooms. They're not big enough to handle the kind of capacity that you need. This is the same height as the White House. It's an incredible fitting. You see what that is, right? Nice.”

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING (English):

“One of the, I think it'll be the finest ballroom of its kind anywhere in the world. A lot of people are giving it really good reviews. Some are giving it reviews without even seeing the building because this just came out today. These pictures we just made today.”

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING (English):

“It matches and fits the White House. It's also capable of handling the inauguration. We have all bulletproof glass. We have droneproof roofs and ceilings. Everything's droneproof and bulletproof. And unfortunately, we're living in an age where that's a good thing.”

8. WHITE FLASH

9. (SOUNDBITE) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING (English):

“Timeline. So we're ahead of schedule and under budget. And all of this money, all of the money paid is paid by myself and donors. It's all donors. There's not one dime of government money going into the ballroom. Now, the military is building a big complex under the ballroom, which has come out recently because of a stupid lawsuit that was filed.”

8.WHITE FLASH

9. TRUMP THANKING REPORTERS, LEAVING