ICE Is Spending Tens of Millions on Gloves That Can Electrocute People

But since Trump took office last year, the administration has funneled $875 million to that account. That money consists of transfers from the U.S. Secret Service and the White House Military Office of about $500 million, with $305 billion from private donations. Another $70 million was also directed to the account, according to documents reviewed by the Post, but the source isn’t identified.  

In all, Trump plans to spend at least $900 million on “modernization projects” on White House grounds, including a helipad, improvements to Lafayette Square, a new visitor screening center, and the White House ballroom that was ruled illegal in federal court last week, with Trump planning to appeal. 

Trump’s ballroom was estimated to cost $600 million (up from $200 million when he first announced the project). Taxpayers will pay for about half of that latest figure, contradicting the president’s promise that the vast majority of it would be paid for by private donations.