US President Donald Trump briefly paused a meeting with nearly two dozen top oil and gas executives at the White House on Friday to step over to a window
and inspect the construction progress of the new White House ballroom. Midway through his remarks, Trump rose from his chair, looked toward the site, and commented on the view, referring to it as the entrance to the planned facility. “Today, I’m delighted to welcome almost two dozen of the biggest and most respected oil and gas executives in the world to the White House," he said as quoted by Fox News. Also Read: Will Trump Send US Troops To Capture Putin One Day? His Answer | WATCH Trump, while getting up his chair to peek out of the window, said, “It’s an honour to be with them. We have many others that were not able to get in. I said, ‘If we had a ballroom, we’d have over a thousand people.’ I never knew you had that many people in your industry. But here we are. And if you’re, in fact, if you look, come to think of it. Well, I gotta look at this myself.” “Wow. What a, what a view. This is the door to the ballroom," he continued. Trump remarked that it was an “unusual time to look" out in the ballroom, which drew light laughter from those present and invited the media to observe the progress as well. Trump announced in October 2025 that construction on the ballroom had begun, framing it as part of an effort to modernise the White House and better accommodate large events. The White House has said the project is privately funded and does not use taxpayer money. The US president said the construction is ahead of schedule, with the White House noting that the ballroom will be “completed long before the end of President Trump’s term” in 2029. Trump added that the new ballroom will accommodate more guests than existing spaces and feature enhanced security measures, including bulletproof glass and drone-resistant ceilings, to support major events such as presidential inaugurations. Trump was hosting oil and gas executives to discuss potential investment in Venezuela following the US military’s recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. He said energy companies were expected to invest at least $100 billion to help rebuild the country’s oil infrastructure. The meeting included executives from Chevron, Exxon, Shell, ConocoPhillips, and Halliburton, and was also attended by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
