Is Donald Trump using foreign steel for his 'gold-encrusted ballroom'?

President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project ignited a fresh political firestorm after a report claimed that its construction was against Trump's own 'America First' policy. As per a New York Times report, steel for the 90,000-square-foot structure, replacing the historic East Wing of the White House, was procured from Europe. Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of several Democrats who have been critical of the project since its announcement in July last year, said that using foreign steel for his "gold-encrusted ballroom" was a "slap in the face to every American steelworker." In a post on X, she said, America First "was always just a slogan to Trump."

Warren isn't the only Democrat to question Trump's 'America First' rhetoric. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also expressed his displeasure at foreign steel being used in one of America's most iconic monuments. Echoing Warren's statement, he said, "He should be relying on U.S. steel workers. He should be relying on U.S. steel. We have made significant investments and worked hard to earn billions of dollars in investments, to bolster our steel industry...he should be relying on American steel. For a guy who talks a good game about American steel...he should put American steelworkers first." 

European steel in the White House?

The steel in question, valued at approximately $37 million, was reportedly donated by ArcelorMittal, a Luxembourg-based conglomerate. According to sources quoted by the New York Times, the materials were manufactured at the company’s European facilities rather than its American plants. Last October, President Trump revealed that he had been offered a donation of steel worth around $37 million, which he described as "great steel." Documentation suggests that the donation was finalized just as the White House was reviewing trade exemptions that directly impacted ArcelorMittal's operations in Canada, according to the New York Times report.

The White House has, however, not revealed what materials were being used for the $400 billion project. PEOPLE quoted a White House official as saying that discussions on "specific materials and where or how they are applied" are avoided due to the "top secret and sensitive nature of various elements of the East Wing Modernization and Ballroom project."  White House spokesman Davis Ingle said that the project should be celebrated by everyone, as it is giving the White House the "glory it deserves at no cost to the taxpayer." Those who find a problem with it, he said, suffer from a "severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome."

Ballroom necessary for national security: White House

Outside the criticism, the Trump administration recently faced a significant political setback after a federal judge ruled that construction on the White House ballroom "must stop until Congress authorizes its completion." The White House has appealed the court decision. On Thursday,  in a filing with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C., the White House argued that the construction of the ballroom was "necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds, including the ballroom construction site, and provide for the personal safety of the President and his staff."

As per an NBC News report, the filings claim that halting the construction project "would imperil the President and national security and indefinitely leave a large hole beside the Executive Residence." Meanwhile, Ingle said that "President Trump clearly has the legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House—just like all of his predecessors did."