Karoline Leavitt Hits Back After NYT Report Questions Trump’s Costly Ballroom Design Plan

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has strongly defended President Donald Trump's new White House ballroom after a New York Times report criticized its design.

Known for her staunch Trump support, Leavitt pushed back against opinions from three unimpressed experts who reviewed the project's look and style. The ballroom will reportedly replace the East Wing of the White House.

Donald Trump’s plan to build a new White House ballroom faces strong criticism from architects and design experts. Their detailed opinions appeared in New York Times reports, where many panned the building's appearance.

They warned the idea could harm the look and history of one of the most important U.S. buildings. Experts also noted that given the budget, the design is not only expensive but poorly planned.

The ballroom is expected to cost between $300 million and $400 million and will replace the White House East Wing. Critics highlighted design flaws such as fake windows, columns blocking views and staircases leading nowhere.

Experts also questioned the purpose of a large rooftop area an called it unnecessary. It is important to note that the New York Times report reviewed mock designs before the National Capital Planning Commission's final verdict on April 2.

Following criticism from architects and design experts, Karoline Leavitt lashed out at the New York Times report. On Sunday, she strongly defended Donald Trump’s new ballroom plan, sharing a post on X.

In the post, Leavitt dismissed the featured experts' opinions, saying the outlet relied on “random people” who had studied fine arts or written about urban planning but had never built anything.

“The New York Times had three random people who have 'studied fine arts,' 'long written about urban planning,' and never built anything to write an article criticizing the new White House ballroom,” Leavitt wrote.

While her post referenced two New York Times report authors -- Larry Buchanan, who studied fine arts, and Emily Badger, who writes about urban planning -- Leavitt refrained from addressing trained architect Junho Lee’s opinions.

Leavitt added, "President Trump and his lead architect have built world-class buildings around the world, and they are ensuring the People’s House finally has a beautiful ballroom that’s been needed for decades at no expense to the taxpayer."

With her post, Karoline Leavitt made it clear that the administration stands by the project. She cited the global experience of the people involved in the project and asserted no taxpayer cost for the same while defending her stance.