Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is under fire after claiming the Trump administration has made the construction of a new $250 million White House ballroom its top priority as the government shutdown approaches one month. Walz made the statement Monday while announcing $4 million in emergency funding to food shelves, blaming President Donald Trump and Republicans for the shutdown.
"They are choosing not to fund these programs … and when the White House press secretary said the top priority is the ballroom, we could not disagree more," Walz said.
However, critics noted Walz mischaracterized the statement made by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Leavitt was responding to a reporter who specifically asked if Trump was considering any additional renovations beyond what had already been announced.
"Not to my knowledge, no, but he’s a builder at heart — clearly — and so his heart and his mind are always churning about how to improve things here on the White House grounds," Leavitt said. "But at this moment in time, of course, the ballroom is really the president’s main priority."
Leavitt later pushed back on Walz’s remarks on social media, writing, "Stop lying, Tampon Tim," accusing the governor of deliberately twisting her words.
Democrats including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries seized on the moment, with Jeffries claiming on X that "the Trump administration just declared that erecting a ballroom is the President’s main priority," while Americans are struggling with costs of living and healthcare.
PolitiFact reviewed Jeffries’ statement and rated it false, noting the ballroom project is privately funded by Trump and donors, not taxpayers. The new facility is designed to host up to 650 seated guests and maintain the White House’s classical architectural style—a point Leavitt highlighted when it was first announced in July.
The Republican National Committee accused Walz of "shamelessly continuing Democrats’ lie about Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt," calling the ballroom narrative a manufactured distraction as the shutdown continues.