Trump uses trip to China in continued crusade for new White House ballroom

WorldPolitics
15 May 2026 • 10:05 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Trump uses trip to China in continued crusade for new White House ballroom

  • Donald Trump completed a three-day trip to China, his first since 2017, where he received a grand welcome and held bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping.
  • Quickly after departing to come back to the US, Trump took to Truth Social to justify his $400 million White House ballroom project, stating, "China has a Ballroom, and so should the U.S.A.!"
  • Trump announced the ballroom is "under construction, ahead of schedule," with an anticipated opening around September 2028.
  • During their discussions, Trump and Xi addressed the Iran war, with Xi offering mediation, and also touched on Taiwan, trade relations, and efforts to curb fentanyl flow.
  • Trump returns to a challenging domestic political landscape marked by an unpopular Iran war, rising fuel prices, high inflation, and low approval ratings.

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