THOMPSON: Trump’s lies about his ballroom are stacking up

Donald Trump is nobody’s fool. Rather, he’s pretty much everybody’s fool. There are so many ways to prove that he’s an ignoramus. But, today, I’ll pick just one…tearing down the entire East Wing of the White House to build a 90,000 sq. ft. ballroom.

Just for the record, no previous president – not Republican, not Democrat – ever asked for a ballroom…especially a ballroom more than one-and-a-half times as big as an NFL football field…including the end zones and sideline areas. The entire White House is – or more accurately was – only 55,000 sq. ft.

Less than three months ago, Donald Trump swore – on camera – that his new ballroom would not require any demolition of the White House. That’s lie number one…about the ballroom…and lie number 58,987 since he’s lived in the White House.

“It’ll have views of the Washington Monument. It won’t interfere with the current building,” Trump promised. “It’ll be near it but not touching it and pay total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.”

Oops, lie number two.

There are no plans…not a single blueprint…just some lavish artist’s rendering. Less than three months ago, Trump said the ballroom would cost $200 million. Oops, lie number three. Now Trump says he’ll need 50 percent more…$300 million.

Anyone who has built a house knows that you don’t know what any construction project costs without a detailed plan – blueprints – and then you run the numbers. Trump just pulls numbers out of his ass. You can bet…this ballroom will be a $400 million bill before it’s finished.

But MAGA Republican cult members…don’t care. Trump said he and donors would pay the entire cost. That’s lie number 4…Trump has never paid for anything…not even a KFC chicken leg. He steals or coerces money from others…then claims it is his.

What idiot corporate CEOs are ponying up millions? Well, Lockheed Martin, Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Blackstone executives almost tripped over each other pledging support from day one. 

The less brazen executives at Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Meta Platforms, Apple, Coinbase, Comcast, T-Mobile, the Adelson Family Foundation and crypto investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss waited to see if there was much backlash, then – like lemmings into the sea – said, “Sure, why not?”

What do these companies have in common? They all do substantial business with the U.S. government…and don’t want Trump to seek revenge and cancel their contracts. Would he do that? Sorry, I’m just messing with you…he’s always done that.

Trump insists that putting tents on the South Lawn of the White House doesn’t work…though some of the world’s most expensive weddings – each costing hundreds of millions of dollars – use tents.

Of course, it’s hard to attach tacky gold ornaments to the walls of a tent. The truth is…the king wants a palace. No previous president is on the record asking for a larger ballroom…the destroyed East Wing held 200 people for a sit-down dinner. It’s plenty big. I’ve been to two dinners there…one Republican and one Democrat…and there was even room for a small orchestra and dancings.

More stupid than building a 90,000 sq. ft. ballroom…more than twice as big as the remaining White House…are the MAGA Republican Congressmen and Right Wing Nut voters who support the concept…without an inkling of the final cost.

This “let them eat cake” philosophy of Trump and his MAGA Cult should piss off tens of millions of Americans who are worried about this week’s grocery bill. I just don’t understand why the less-educated, less-wealthy MAGA constituency put up with Trump’s lies, lawlessness and outright insanity. But they do. Honestly, I have no faith in their ability to see the light…ever.

That’s why I think Trump should take a page from Roman Emperor Nero…sell fiddles at exorbitant prices to his cult members…and just wait for the fires. When the time comes, I assure you…Trump will say they are the greatest of all fires.