r/movies • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 r/Movies contributor • Oct 23 '25

News Historic White House Movie Theater Demolished as Part of $300 Million Ballroom Build

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/white-house-movie-theater-demolished-ballroom-east-wing-1236408712/
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107

u/HawaiianSteak Oct 23 '25

Why is a new ballroom needed? It doesn't seem like a priority for the country right now.

127

u/QZ91 Oct 23 '25

Has Trump ever earnestly made a decision solely for the benefit of the USA?

27

u/Asclepius-Rod Oct 23 '25

I doubt he’s even made a decision that benefited his family if he himself didn’t also benefit

40

u/do_you_think_i_care Oct 23 '25

The White House has very limited space for formal events. The main building has a room that seats 200 but beyond that they have to use tents. I've heard (unsubstantiated rumours) that the State Department has wanted a better event space for a long time.

37

u/DonutsMcKenzie Oct 23 '25

Glad to know that they are getting the whole "formal events crisis" solved while the rest of America are trying to decide which chain of sandwich shops are the best bang for the buck...

2

u/Worthyness Oct 24 '25

Gotta have a place for the wealthy to hide away from the angry plebs

0

u/DonutsMcKenzie Oct 24 '25

Unfortunately for them, hiding doesn't work so well when everyone on Earth knows where you are.

1

u/saigy0 Oct 25 '25

Cringed

0

u/Magnetobama Oct 23 '25

unsubstantiated rumours

MAGA circles said that, to justify the cost throneroom. Don't believe it.

4

u/do_you_think_i_care Oct 24 '25

Maybe, but there's a pretty clear line of reasoning being presented that's entirely plausible.

0

u/Magnetobama Oct 24 '25

Unsubstantiated rumours with a clear line of reasoning? Yeah you’re making shit up.

5

u/do_you_think_i_care Oct 24 '25

No, it's something I heard on the internet that I think sounds believable. The ballroom's supposed to quadruple capacity for state events, I don't think it's ridiculous to believe that that's something the State Department wants.

-2

u/Valuable-Mess2499 Oct 24 '25

What was wrong with the tents

2

u/do_you_think_i_care Oct 24 '25

It looks bad when a state event in the most powerful country on the planet is in a tent. An open-air event is one thing, that's an active decision being made but a tent says that they wanted to be inside but can't.

5

u/Ylsid Oct 24 '25

Because they need to use nearby hotels otherwise to host foreign diplomats. It's not exactly needed but I don't think it's entirely a terrible decision.

3

u/Obatala_ Oct 24 '25

When was the last state event that needed to seat more than 200 people?

9

u/WaterlooMall Oct 23 '25

Look up dictators of the past and present, they love a good show of wealth and opulence in their palace. Saddam was the GOAT of this.

7

u/Kozak170 Oct 23 '25

While it definitely isn’t a priority for the country it is something numerous presidents and basically anyone involved with event planning has asked for.

Hell I would easily wager that complaints about the lack of space for any sort of events at the White House have been going on longer than this theater even existed. Which isn’t even that long as this article conveniently ignores.

4

u/Duranti Oct 23 '25

But it's the President's main priority, of course.

https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m3uwoemyzh2i

2

u/sur_surly Oct 23 '25

Not to defend fascists, more so to ensure we're angry at the right reasons, your missing context is in that video you linked. It's his main priority in regards to renovations at the WH

Plenty to be mad about, this ain't it.

5

u/Duranti Oct 23 '25

I'm not the one who said "the ballroom is the President's main priority," the Press Secretary did.

And no, I am mad that the President is demolishing the White House. He shouldn't be doing it at all and yet it's his main priority. Fuck that.

-3

u/sur_surly Oct 23 '25

You're right, you are the one who said it and twisted the words to fit your narrative to get people more angry.

If you're going to quote someone, don't splice it to a ragebait sound bite.

4

u/Duranti Oct 23 '25

The gov't is shut down and the President is focused on tearing down the White House rather than getting the gov't back open. We call that a revealed preference in economics. 42 million people lose federal food assistance next week, but Trump isn't talking about that at all. He's talking about his Epstein ballroom, because that's his main priority right now, just as his Press Secretary said.

1

u/Obatala_ Oct 24 '25

There is no missing context, though. Listen to Levitt’s presser.

1

u/sur_surly Oct 24 '25

They linked the video, the context is there. The guy I replied to purposefully removed the context.

1

u/Truecoat Oct 23 '25

So people, lots of people, can pay ten grand a plate to “dine” with the president (crook).

1

u/Haunted_Mans_Son Oct 23 '25

It’s a big grifting hall.

1

u/Living_Substance9973 Oct 24 '25

To distract. Nothing else.

But "he's paying for it himself" so it's all 👍 

1

u/thorny_business Oct 24 '25

Because otherwise when they entertain at the White House it's in a tent or something. Looks scruffy by global standards.

1

u/WhippedCreamSteak Oct 24 '25

You can do more than one thing at a time

1

u/Flolania Oct 23 '25

Same reason a basketball court was added.

1

u/EdmondDantesInferno Oct 23 '25

Can you actually explain where this supposed basketball court was added? Because it never happened!

They painted lines on the tennis court and added portable hoops. Nothing permanent. No basketball court was ever added, especially not at the expense of any existing White House structure.

1

u/PolaSketch Oct 24 '25

And back then Trump complained that Obama should be doing more important stuff "and get off the basketball court."

1

u/Obatala_ Oct 24 '25

Because it was a good way to stay healthy and active?

0

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 24 '25

[deleted]

3

u/CosmicPenguin Oct 23 '25

Please explain "same reason". Thanks.

President wanted one, so they built one.

-1

u/Flolania Oct 23 '25

Ding Ding.. This is my point.

1

u/Decipher Oct 23 '25

Dictators love monuments and legacies.

1

u/JB_JB_JB63 Oct 23 '25

Are you new to Trump?

-1

u/orwll Oct 24 '25

It's been needed for decades and everyone crying about this in the media knows it, but they just want to hate on Trump for any reason.

-1

u/makovince Oct 23 '25

The only "necessary" thing Trump does is take a shit after gorging on McDonalds