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President Donald Trump’s proposal to replace the White House East Wing with a sprawling new ballroom and expanded underground security complex is drawing fresh scrutiny after a report suggested the true cost of the project may be far higher than figures previously cited by the administration.

Despite the criticism, Trump has repeatedly maintained that the project will be financed entirely through private contributions and will not cost American taxpayers.

During remarks in the Oval Office in late March, Trump outlined his vision for the development, which includes a large ballroom, enhanced medical capabilities, and fortified underground security infrastructure. He emphasized that taxpayers would not be funding the undertaking.

“We have no taxpayer putting up 10 cents” for it, Trump said at the time.

The president has publicly estimated the total cost at less than $400 million and said the funding would come from himself and other supporters of the project.

When the White House first unveiled the plan last July, officials described it as a $200 million project to be financed by Trump and “other patriot donors,” while indicating that the U.S. Secret Service would oversee security-related improvements.

However, documents reviewed by the Washington Post reportedly indicate a substantially larger budget estimate from the project’s primary contractor, Clark Construction.

According to those records, a March cost projection placed the overall price of the initiative at approximately $600 million, with financing expected to come from both private donors and federal agencies, including the Secret Service and the White House Military Office.

The administration rejected claims that public funds would be used to pay for the ballroom itself.

“The East Wing Modernization Project is inextricably tied to the security of the President, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement to Newsmax.

“President Trump and generous American patriots are funding the ballroom to the tune of approximately $400 million, which will be a secure and appropriate venue for Presidents for generations to come,” he explained.

Ingle also argued that recent security threats underscore the need for the broader modernization effort.

“The events over the weekend and the foiled attempted attack on the historic UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House proves exactly why the East Wing Modernization Project is severely needed for large scale events, which include drone-proof structures and drone ports among other critical security enhancements,” Ingle added.

According to the Post, internal government records show that administration officials explored the possibility of using federal money for portions of the project tied to security upgrades and site preparation.

One document cited in the report was a July 30 email from Caroline C. Hunter, general counsel in the White House Office of Administration, discussing revisions to contract language.

“We believe this edit is important to comply with fiscal law principles,” Hunter added.

The email reportedly stated that the language was adjusted “to tie the project more closely to security-related issues since USSS [U.S. Secret Service] is providing the funding.”

Trump himself has acknowledged that certain security components connected to the project would be paid for by government agencies.

While touring the construction site in May, the president said the ballroom and security infrastructure should be viewed as parts of a single integrated project.

“This is one well-knit building,” Trump told reporters. “One thing doesn’t work without the other.”

He also noted that some of the surrounding security work would be covered through existing budgets allocated to federal agencies.

“They have a budget in Secret Service and the military to do some of the work that you see right here,” Trump said.

Even so, Trump reiterated that taxpayers would not be responsible for funding the ballroom itself.

“This is a gift to the United States of America,” he said.

The controversy has also spilled onto Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have debated whether federal funds should be used for any portion of the project.

A measure supported by Lindsey Graham that would have provided $400 million for White House security and ballroom improvements ultimately failed after several Republican senators joined Democrats in opposing it.

Among those voting against the proposal was Susan Collins, who said Trump had made a clear commitment regarding the source of the funding.

Explaining her opposition to the measure, Collins told reporters that Trump “indicated that the ballroom was going to be built with private donations.”

“I think that’s the commitment that should be kept,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that they intend to pursue the death penalty against an Afghan national charged with carrying out a deadly shooting in Washington, D.C., that left a National Guard soldier dead and another service member critically wounded.

The defendant, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, appeared in federal court for a hearing where prosecutors unveiled a sweeping new indictment containing additional charges that could make him eligible for capital punishment if convicted.

According to authorities, Lakanwal is accused of murdering West Virginia National Guard Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and seriously wounding U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe during an attack on Nov. 26, 2025.

During Tuesday’s court appearance, Lakanwal was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair and dressed in an orange jail uniform. Observers reported that he frequently blinked, spoke to himself, and at times displayed a wide-eyed, vacant stare.

The updated indictment contains 17 charges, including first-degree premeditated murder of a National Guard member while armed, attempted murder of three additional individuals, assault with intent to kill, transporting a firearm across state lines in furtherance of a felony, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime.

Prosecutors allege that Lakanwal used a stolen Smith & Wesson revolver to ambush Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, near the Farragut West Metro Station, just blocks from the White House. Both victims were reportedly shot in the head during the attack.

Lakanwal, a former member of Afghanistan’s special forces who later entered the United States as a refugee, could face execution if he is convicted on the most serious charges.

Authorities say the attack came to an end when two nearby National Guardsmen intervened, shooting and stabbing the suspect before taking him into custody.

Investigators further allege that Lakanwal traveled from Washington state to the nation’s capital with a stolen .357 Magnum revolver specifically to carry out the assault.

The original indictment included murder, assault, and firearms offenses, but those charges alone did not expose him to the possibility of the death penalty.

At the time, prosecutors indicated they planned to seek additional counts that could support a capital punishment case.

Beckstrom had reportedly volunteered to work that day so fellow Guard members with children could spend the holiday with their families.

She succumbed to her injuries the following day, Thanksgiving Day.

Lakanwal has entered a plea of not guilty and remains in federal custody as the case moves forward.

{Matzav.com}

The developing agreement between the United States and Iran is expected to provide Tehran with a major economic boost by allowing the regime to resume oil exports, potentially injecting billions of dollars into the country’s struggling economy.

According to a source familiar with the arrangement, Washington will grant sanctions exemptions enabling Iran to restart oil sales during a 60-day negotiating window that is scheduled to begin following Friday’s signing ceremony for the still-unreleased memorandum of understanding.

The easing of restrictions is expected to be accompanied by a U.S. commitment to end its blockade of Iranian ports, a move that could rapidly restore revenue streams to the Islamic Republic after years of economic pressure.

In addition to permitting oil exports, the agreement reportedly includes provisions allowing access to the support systems necessary to carry out those transactions.

The agreement will also cover “necessary services including banking, transportation and insurance needed to facilitate the sales,” the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

When asked about the reported terms, a senior U.S. official emphasized that any benefits available to Iran would depend entirely on the regime meeting its obligations under the agreement.

Asked for comment on the report, a senior US official said every incentive in the MOU is “performance-based.”

“This is a performance-based agreement,” the senior official said. “Iran can only access any benefits of the MOU if they abide by all of the points they agreed to – including no nuclear weapon, neutralizing its enriched material, and not interfering with the free flow of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The official stressed that Iran’s access to sanctions relief and other incentives would be tied directly to compliance with the commitments outlined in the memorandum, including restrictions on its nuclear program and guarantees regarding maritime security in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the war between Russia and Ukraine does not directly affect the United States, aside from American weapons sales, while stressing that he still wants to see an end to the conflict because of the enormous human cost.

Speaking at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, Trump suggested that although his administration is concerned about the loss of life caused by the war, he does not view the conflict as a central American interest. His remarks reflected his long-held position that European nations should take greater responsibility for a war taking place in their region.

“We have nothing to do with it,” Trump told reporters while discussing the ongoing fighting.

“We sell weapons to them. We don’t even give them. The European Union pays us full price for weapons,” the president said.

Trump also drew a distinction between his policy and that of President Barack Obama, criticizing the extensive financial assistance that had been directed toward Ukraine during earlier stages of the war.

“Obama gave them $350 billion worth of [aid], which was crazy,” Trump said.

The president reiterated that the conflict is taking place far from American shores and argued that its direct effect on the United States is minimal.

“It has no impact on us other than we sell weapons. We’re thousands of miles away,” he said.

Even so, Trump emphasized that he remains committed to pursuing an end to the war.

According to Trump, approximately 25,000 people are being killed each month in the conflict, a level of bloodshed he described as deeply disturbing.

“I don’t like to see 25,000 young people die every month,” Trump said. “Young people — they’re just starting their life. They go to this front, and they get blown up.”

Trump disclosed that he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday and met Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He added that another conversation regarding the conflict was scheduled later in the day.

The president said he had initially expected the Russia-Ukraine war to be among the simplest international disputes to resolve.

“I settled eight wars,” Trump said. “This was the one I thought was going to be the easiest to settle. There’s a lot of dislike between the two leaders.”

His remarks underscored continuing disagreements between Washington and several European governments, many of which have advocated for a more active American role in helping broker a settlement.

Leaders attending the G7 gathering have continued to push Ukraine as a top priority, despite growing international attention on the administration’s developing diplomatic efforts with Iran.

Trump indicated that negotiations involving Iran have occupied much of his attention in recent weeks.

“We were focused on Iran,” he said. “That’s going to be in the rear-view mirror.”

While stopping short of announcing any expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Trump said he intends to keep encouraging negotiations, arguing that the scale of casualties demands a resolution.

“I’m going to do whatever I can,” he said. “The whole thing is ridiculous.”

{Matzav.com}

Federal authorities disrupted an alleged terrorist plot targeting Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn of the White House, arresting five suspects and preventing what officials described as a potentially catastrophic attack, sources told The Post on Tuesday.

Investigators say the scheme involved several coordinated phases. According to officials, the attackers allegedly planned to launch drones carrying explosives at structures near the event, triggering panic among spectators and causing crowds to flee into areas where armed snipers were positioned to open fire.

Authorities said a further stage of the operation allegedly called for an assault on the White House perimeter after the initial attacks created confusion and chaos.

The alleged conspiracy was “stopped cold” on June 10 when federal agents carried out a search warrant in Cincinnati, leading to the first arrest in the case, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.

Officials said some members of the group later traveled to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13 as part of preparations connected to the planned attack.

A review of one suspect’s iPhone uncovered evidence that at least 23 individuals communicating through the encrypted messaging platform Signal had participated in discussions concerning details of the alleged operation.

According to investigators, one suspect claimed the intended targets included “capitalist elites,” “billionaires” and politicians who received money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

“While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team — we are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens — particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight,” Patel later wrote on X praising the coordinated law enforcement effort.

The UFC event, one of the highest-profile sporting spectacles held in Washington this year, coincided with President Trump’s 80th birthday celebration and drew approximately 4,300 attendees, including roughly 1,200 active-duty military personnel.

Beyond the event itself, officials estimated that between 80,000 and 85,000 spectators gathered at a ticketed viewing party on the Ellipse, located just south of the White House. Thousands of additional fans assembled on the National Mall in hopes of watching the seven-bout fight card on large outdoor screens.

{Matzav.com}