Daniel Wolfram
Two tech giants have made a gigant donation to Trump’s new ballroom after the president said he would pay for it himself.
Leaked records obtained by The Washington Post show that tech titans Apple and Nvidia each handed over $25 million to President Trump’s White House ballroom campaign.
The project pulled in an eye-popping $333 million from private donors, with at least $77 million arriving anonymously.
Secret checks exposed
The billionaire Adelson family and Dish Network boss Charles Ergen also wrote matching $25 million checks.
Plenty of other corporate heavyweights chipped in too. Microsoft, Palantir, and Lockheed Martin each sent $10 million, while Amazon and Meta pledged $5 million.
The donations from powerful tech companies have triggered severe conflict-of-interest criticism. Most of the donors depend directly on federal policy and contracts, whether that involves winning military contracts, getting help on new manufacturing plans, or securing export licenses to sell advanced chips abroad.
Nvidia and the White House push back
Nvidia defended its donation after the records leaked. A company spokesperson told The Washington Post: “As an American company, our support for the United States is paramount, and independent of any business interests. We were proud to be able to make a donation to a nonpartisan trust that serves all Americans and have said so publicly since the donation was made.”
The White House also clapped back at the report. Spokesman Davis Ingle dismissed ethics concerns and told the Post, “The same critics who are alleging fake conflicts of interest would also complain if American taxpayers were footing the bill for these long-overdue renovations.”
Ingle also slammed the newspaper for publishing leaked internal records and insisted the White House will “relentlessly pursue those responsible for this cowardly leak while continuing to protect all those who give.”
Bunkers and ballgowns
While the president previously stated he would help finance the ballroom himself, that appears to be untrue, as his name is not on the donor list. The funds came entirely from outside contributors.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has cleared workers to keep building while legal challenges grind through the courts. Plans call for an expansive complex covering nearly 90,000 square feet and seating 1,000 guests.
Trump has defended the project on national security grounds, pointing out that the site features bomb shelters, medical clinics, sniper perches, and a rooftop drone port, making the place impenetrable.
