PoliticsDonald Trump Ignores Question About Charlie Kirk as He Boasts About Renovated White House Ballroom
Donald Trump wouldn't elaborate on the death of Charlie Kirk with reporters at the White House.
Sept. 12 2025, Published 5:40 p.m. ET
The show must go on for the president.
As he spoke with reporters outside of the White House on Friday, September 12, President Donald Trump avoided a question about right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed in a political assassination on Wednesday, September 10.
When asked how the “last three and a half days” have been — referring to the death of his friend, who devoted his political support to the Republican president — Trump gave a brief answer, saying, “I think very good.”
'Right There, You See All the Trucks?'
Donald Trump boasted about the new ballroom instead of talking about the death of Charlie Kirk.
Instead of elaborating, the president veered into boasting about the renovated ballroom. “And by the way, right there, you see all the trucks?” Trump said. “They just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they’ve been trying to get, as you know, for about 150 years. And it’s going to be a beauty. It’ll be absolutely magnificent structure.”
Before walking away from the reporter, Trump added, “It’ll get done very nice, and it’ll be one of the best anywhere in the world.”
White House Ballroom Renovations
Renovations for a new White House ballroom started in September.
The $200 million renovations began in September and are expected to be finished by the end of Trump’s final term as president.
The reconstruction was announced in July by the White House. “The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance,” read a statement.
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Capacity of Renovated White House Ballroom Increases by 450 People
The new ballroom will hold 650 people compared to the previous 200-person capacity.
The statement continued, “The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.”
Donald Trump Honors Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday, September 10.
Although Trump used the ballroom renovations as a way to ignore the opportunity to speak about Kirk, the president has expressed his condolences on several occasions since the horrific assassination, carried out at Utah Valley University.
After Kirk was pronounced deceased, Trump issued a statement via Truth Social. “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” the president wrote. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife, Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
