US Politics
Trump shows off model for White House makeover to grandkids, 8, in new family photos
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Read more
Gather ‘round kids, grandpa has a real estate project to show off.
President Donald Trump entertained his grandchildren, Luke, 8, and Carolina, 6, with a model of his planned White House ballroom project this week, according to new family photos shared on social media. The project has become a focal point for the president, who recently revealed that its cost has soared to $400 million.
“Just being a grandpa,” Lara Trump captioned the photos Thursday of her children and father in the Oval Office.
In all three photos, Luke Trump stands close to the president, who plants a kiss on his cheek in the final shot. Meanwhile, Carolina Trump, seemingly clutching a stuffed animal, intently examines photos accompanying the architectural model.
open image in gallery
open image in gallery
Trump has 11 grandchildren, ranging in age from 7 months to 18 years.
In addition to the children Lara Trump shares with Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and his former wife, Vanessa, have five children, with their eldest, Kai, 18, sharing a love of golf with his grandfather.
Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, have three children. Tiffany Trump and her husband, Michael Boulos, welcomed their first child, Alexander, in May.
Trump’s show-and-tell with his grandchildren comes as his extravagant White House renovation plans escalated, with court documents revealing that his 90,000-square-foot ballroom will now rise taller than the White House itself.
The National Park Service review found the ballroom would both help and harm the White House grounds, saying it would “dominate the eastern portion of the site, creating a visual imbalance with the more modestly scaled West Wing and Executive Mansion.”
Trump also revealed that the project’s price tag has soared to $400 million, which is twice the originally announced amount.
The renovation will require closing streets around the White House until 2028 to accommodate a temporary construction zone near the demolished East Wing.
The project also includes a new multi-level colonnade, a larger visitor entrance with monumental stairs leading to the ballroom and a passageway connecting the ballroom to the executive residence.
open image in gallery
Trump also completed some interior redecoration this week in the White House colonnade, placing controversial plaques beneath portraits of past presidents in the “Presidential Walk of Fame.”
The plaques include biased information, referring to Joe Biden as “Sleepy” and “the worst President in American History.”
Barack Obama’s plaque labels him “one of the most divisive figures in American history,” criticizing his policies, including Obamacare, which it calls the “highly ineffective ‘Unaffordable’ Care Act.”
