Panel reviewing Trump's White House ballroom project gets an earful from the public opposed to it

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's proposed White House ballroom is “ugly,” “grossly out of scale” and a “gold gilded edifice to one man's ego,” according to members of the public who oppose the project and got a chance to speak their minds Thursday to a federal panel that's reviewing it.

Others characterized the project as an “invitation for corruption” because Trump said he'll pay for it with money donated by rich people and corporations, some of which do business with the federal government. And a few people suggested to the National Capital Planning Commission that the Republican president build the ballroom underground if he wants one so badly.

The public's overwhelmingly negative assessment appeared to be a minor bump in the road for Trump's plan for a new 90,000-square-foot (8,360-square-meter) addition, including a ballroom, on the east side of the White House. Trump had the East Wing demolished in October.

The commissioners on the panel — one of two that play a role in advancing the project — showed little sign that their approval process could be delayed. A final vote was set for April 2.

A separate federal panel, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, has already signed off on the project while the National Trust for Historic Preservation lost its federal court bid to force the White House to temporarily halt the construction.

A total of 31 people offered their views at the commission’s meeting Thursday, but only one panel member spoke up during the session, which went on for more than two hours — and those inquiries went to a duo that beamed into the online session from Caracas, Venezuela, to discuss an alternative to the ballroom. They did not praise or condemn Trump’s plan.

“It's ugly. It's just ugly. It's too much,” said Kye Rowan, who described herself as an “ordinary citizen” with no architectural background.

Other speakers asked the commission to properly deliberate before making a decision, or openly wondered if the commissioners would treat their comments seriously.

“I urge you to send this back to the drawing board,” said Diane Marlin, who recently retired as mayor of Urbana, Illinois. “Take the time to get this right.”

Concerns also were raised about Trump's plan to pay the estimated $400 million construction cost with money donated by wealthy people and corporations, many of whom have business before the government. Will Scharf, a top White House aide named by Trump to chair the commission, noted that such concerns were beyond the panel's scope.

Abigail Bellows, senior policy director for anti-corruption and accountability at Common Cause, a nonpartisan grassroots group, called the arrangement a “golden invitation for corruption.”

The lone voice in support of the project invoked Trump's background in construction, saying the public should be “thankful and blessed” that he decided to build the ballroom.

“I think this is great that our president is giving us a gift, this incredible ballroom that is much needed, especially for his security and allowing him to have a place that he can have people come together and have it safe,” said Tara Brown.

Jon Golinger, an attorney who represented Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, used his testimony to challenge the credentials of Scharf and two other White House officials Trump appointed to the commission last year. Presidents get to name three of the 12 commission members.

Golinger said only people with city or regional planning experience should serve and he asserted that Trump put Scharf, White House deputy chief of staff James Blair and Stuart Levenbach, the government's chief statistician, on the panel to “rubber stamp” his pet projects.

He called on all three to recuse themselves from voting on the ballroom and to resign from the commission.

Scharf responded by directly telling Golinger, “you're just completely wrong.” Scharf, an attorney, cited his experience in real estate law and his past work for the Missouri governor. He said he was involved in a rewrite of the state's historic preservation tax credit program and served on state boards dealing with housing and development.

“So to say that I lack the credentials to serve on this commission is, frankly, insulting,” Scharf said.

Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League, criticized Trump's proposal as “disproportionately large and impersonal” and said he can use the Mellon Auditorium, which is owned by the federal government on Constitution Avenue a few blocks away from the White House. The auditorium has a meeting room that can seat 2,500 people, according to a government website. Trump delivered remarks there at an event in January.

More than 100 people had signed up to comment at Thursday's meeting, which Scharf said was being conducted online to ease that process. But about two-thirds of the people didn't show up. Scharf initially had said he expected the public comment session to extend into Friday.

The panel also received written comments submitted by more than 35,000 people, according to the commission, with the majority opposed to Trump's plans.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private, nonprofit group, asked a federal judge to temporarily halt construction until the White House submitted the plans both to federal panels and to Congress for approval, and allowed the public to comment.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejected the request last week, and the trust has said it plans to file an amended lawsuit.

President Donald Trump speaks about the new ballroom construction before a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The White House is viewed from the Old Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

The White House and the West Wing is seen Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The White House, including the West Wing and construction of the new ballroom, is seen from the Old Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

CHICAGO (AP) — Three former Democratic presidents are set to speak at a Chicago church as mourners pay a final public tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

Former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden are joining thousands of people Friday during a celebration of life for the civil rights leader. Former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris is also listed as a speaker on the program, according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the organization that Jackson founded.

The event honors the protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate and follows memorial services that drew large crowds in Chicago and South Carolina, where Jackson was born. Friday’s celebration — at an influential Black church with a 10,000-seat arena — is expected to be the largest.

Crowds of attendees waited in long lines outside the church on the city’s South Side as television screens played excerpts of some of Jackson’s most famous speeches. Inside, vendors sold pins with his 1984 presidential slogan and hoodies with his “I Am Somebody” mantra.

A prerecorded video address of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared on auditorium screens as attendees continued to file into the chamber.

Sanders praised Jackson’s dual presidential bids as an “unprecedented” effort to bridge divides along race and class. The Vermont progressive, who twice mounted unsuccessful bids for the Democratic presidential nomination, praised Jackson for inspiring “enthusiasm” across racial and age divides.

Jesse Jackson Jr. said all were welcome to celebrate his father’s life.

“Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, right wing, left wing because his life is broad enough to cover the full spectrum of what it means to be an American,” Jackson Jr. said last month. “Dad would have wanted us to have a great meeting to discuss our differences, to find ways of moving forward and moving together.”

The elder Jackson died last month at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak. Family members say he continued coming into the office until last year and communicated through hand signals. His final public appearances included the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Sitting in the crowd was 90-year-old Mary Lovett. She said Jackson’s advocacy inspired her many times, from when she moved from Mississippi to Chicago in the 1960’s, taught elementary school and became a mom. She twice voted for Jackson during both of his presidential runs and appreciated how he always spoke up for underrepresented people. “He’s gone, but I hope his legacy lives,” she said. “I hope we can remember what he tried to teach us.”

Jackson's pursuits were countless, taking him to all corners of the globe: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues including voting rights, health care, job opportunities and education. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.

Jackson’s services in Chicago and South Carolina drew civic leaders, school groups and everyday people who said they were touched by Jackson’s work, from scholarship programs to advocating for inmates. Several states flew flags at half-staff in his honor.

Services in Washington, D.C., were tabled after a request to let Jackson lie in honor at the United States Capitol rotunda was denied by House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said precedent typically reserves the space for select officials, including former presidents. Details on a future event have not been made public.

In his final months, Jackson received numerous visitors in Chicago, including the Clintons and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who also attended his memorial services in Chicago last week.

“He has been the central mentor of my life,” Sharpton said. “The challenge for us that we’ve got to make sure that all he lived for was not in vain.”

Associated Press reporter Matt Brown contributed to this story.

The casket with the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives for the Public Homegoing Service at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The casket with the Rev. Jesse Jackson is seen before the Public Homegoing Service at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Veronica Edmonds waits on line to enter the Public Homegoing Service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday, March 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

People stand on line before the Public Homegoing Service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Lisa Fields waits on line to enter the Public Homegoing Service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

People stand on line to enter the Public Homegoing Service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday, March 6, 2026.( (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

People stand on line to enter the Public Homegoing Service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday, March 6, 2026.((AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

People pay their respects to the Rev. Jesse Jackson inside the South Carolina Statehouse as he lies in state Monday, March 2, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, Pool)

Santita Jackson, daughter of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, left, speaks at Brookland Baptist Church during a tribute service honoring her late father Monday, March 2, 2026, in West Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

The casket of the Rev. Jesse Jackson is carried to the South Carolina Statehouse, where he will lie in state, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, Pool)

Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., hugs a mourner at a public visitation for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Jacqueline Jackson, the wife of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, attends his public visitation at Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)