LAST DANCE

Trump Obsesses Over Ballroom as Iran War Ceasefire Unravels

The president was melting down over his ballroom as the U.S. military and Iran traded shots.

The U.S. ceasefire with Iran was on the brink of collapse on Monday, but President Donald Trump had other pressing matters: posting about a $400 million White House ballroom.

The president, 79, took to Truth Social to share screenshots of posts arguing in favor of building the massive ballroom even as the tension escalated with Iran.

Trump shared three separate screenshots, each containing a series of social media posts from MAGA influencers and conservative commentators calling for the ballroom to be built or quoting GOP members of Congress addressing it.

In another five posts, the president included screenshots of multiple Republican lawmakers, along with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, all demanding the ballroom.

The eight separate posts about a White House ballroom all went out within minutes. Many of the screenshots were from posts right after the attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner more than a week ago.

The president’s many ballroom posts were included in a flurry of social media posts Trump shared on Monday afternoon, where he also attacked Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell as well as former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

He also shared a screenshot of GOP North Carolina Senate Candidate Michael Whatley attacking his political opponent.

The president often does his rage posting early in the morning or late at night, but on Monday, he was firing off a series of posts on social media just as the ceasefire in Iran was on the cusp of unraveling.

CROSSFIRE

Trump Melts Down as U.S. and Iran Trade Shots in Strait

Sarah Ewall-Wice

U.S. Central Command shared on Monday that it had destroyed six small Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. Navy carries out what the administration is calling “Project Freedom.”

The U.S. launched the operation on Monday to open the crucial waterway where ships have been stranded for months since Trump launched strikes against Iran.

Chief of Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper said Iran also launched multiple cruise missiles and drones, but he did not say whether the U.S. believed the ceasefire was still in place despite the escalating hostilities.

Before going on his posting spree about the ballroom, Trump called Fox News to threaten that if Iran targeted U.S. ships in the region, they would be “blown off the face of the earth.”

In a separate social media post, the president claimed a South Korean ship was hit in the Strait and suggested the country should join the U.S. operation.

Opinion

SITTING RIGHT THERE

Trump Wants to Build a Ballroom When We Have a Better One

Michael Daly

While the president has turned his attention from the war to his dreams of a White House ballroom on Monday, the vast majority of Americans oppose the project.

According to the Washington Post/ABC News poll, Americans are against building the ballroom, even if it’s fully funded by private donations, by a margin of two to one. Only 28 percent of U.S. adults support the project, while 56 percent oppose it.

A federal judge earlier this month halted above-ground construction on the ballroom, ruling the president lacked congressional approval, but Trump has since been arguing for the ballroom, claiming it was necessary to protect him after the April 25 shooting attempt.

However, critics have pointed out the contradictory arguments made by the administration, noting the president has safely attended multiple events away from the White House since the White House Correspondents Dinner even as he claims the ballroom is needed to security reasons.

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Sarah Ewall-WicePolitical Reporter

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