Trump Meets Oil Executives, Updates On White House Ballroom
During a meeting with around 20 prominent oil executives on Friday, President Donald Trump took a moment to step away and check on the ongoing construction of the White House ballroom. “It’s great to welcome some of the most respected figures in the oil and gas industry today. There are so many folks who couldn’t make it. I mentioned that if we had a ballroom, we’d have over a thousand people here,” he noted.
Intrigued, Trump added, “I didn’t realize there were this many people in your field. But I thought, well, I should see it for myself,” as he rose from his seat to gaze out the window. “Wow, what a view. This is the door to the ballroom,” he remarked.
He humorously emphasized the significance of the project, describing an “unusual observation period” for the ballroom, inviting the media to monitor the progress. Following several months of discussions on modernizing the White House, Trump announced that construction on the ballroom was set to start in October 2025. Notably, this project is privately funded and won’t cost taxpayers anything.
Some images circulated online showing the demolition of the east wing facade, which drew backlash from Democrats and critics claiming that Trump was “destroying” the White House’s historic value.
Nevertheless, Trump asserted that construction is progressing ahead of schedule and that the ballroom is expected to be finished before the end of his term in 2029. He mentioned, “The ballroom is ahead of schedule and under budget. In fact, it’s quite unique. This room is our largest, and if we’re fortunate, we could seat around a hundred for dinner—maybe more if everyone is squeezed in.”
He elaborated on security features, saying the ballroom will include bulletproof glass and a ceiling designed to prevent drone intrusion, describing it as necessary in today’s world.
President Trump invited these executives to talk about future investments in Venezuela, especially after the recent U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro. He indicated that the U.S. anticipates a significant role in Venezuelan oil production in years to come.
Among the attendees were major oil companies like Chevron and Exxon, and officials such as Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also participated in the discussions.
Trump expressed intent to invest at least $100 billion to help these companies rebuild necessary infrastructure, underscoring that Venezuela has agreed to allow the U.S. to refine and sell an initial 50 million barrels of its crude oil with continued plans moving forward. “Our refineries depend heavily on Venezuelan crude, which is high-quality heavy oil,” he stated.
