Kathrine Frich
Trump tried to justify why the mansion needs more space.
Hosting a big party always comes with a headache over the guest list.
Even the most famous addresses in the world can run out of chairs when visitors want to bring their own crowd.
Now, one high-profile host is using a royal favour to explain why he is knocking down walls.
A royal guest list
Just seconds into a televised Rose Garden appearance alongside First Lady Melania Trump, Donald Trump shared a private question he got from King Charles, according to the Daily Express.
Before signing a new executive order on women’s health, the US president pivoted to his ongoing push for a bigger White House ballroom.
To show why the mansion needs more space, Trump told reporters about the British monarch’s hefty guest list.
He said: “Then we had King Charles come in. Likewise, he said, ‘Would it be possible to have 293 people? We have them from the UK, all over the United States. They want to fly in.'”
Fitting that many visitors into the current space was impossible. Trump joked with the crowd about the tight squeeze, explaining how he answered the royal request: “I said, ‘Well, it’s gonna be a little… It’s about three times more than the room holds. That means I would get none.'”
Still, the two sides worked it out. Trump added: “So we made a little compromise, but we’re gonna have no problem very shortly. We’re gonna have the kind of room we want.”
Tearing down the wing
That extra breathing room is already taking shape on the grounds.
According to the Daily Express and White House officials, builders started tearing down the East Wing last year to make way for a permanent 90,000-square-foot ballroom that can seat 650 guests, more than tripling the 200-person limit of the current East Room.
In the past, staff had to put up temporary tents on the lawn whenever world leaders visited for major state dinners. The White House says the $250 million (£187 million) expansion is paid for by Trump and private donors, and should be finished before his current term ends.
After riffing on construction, the president turned back to the day’s main event and praised his wife’s past work helping children and families, the Daily Express reported.
Their new order sets up a White House task force on women’s health and a dedicated branch inside the National Institutes of Health, moves that Melania said would “improve outcomes in all phases of life” and set “a new standard for women’s health in America”.
