On Jan. 9, Donald Trump and his aides gathered to meet oil and gas executives to discuss plans for Venezuelan oil. But before even beginning the meeting, the president wandered off to admire his latest ballroom project going on next door.
In the middle of a high-stakes meeting with nearly two dozen oil and gas executives, the toddler in Trump awoke. It was gathering meant to pitch American investment in Venezuela’s energy sector and signal U.S. leverage abroad. But during the first few minutes itself, the president physically left the table. Not to take an urgent call or consult an aide. He walked over to the gate behind him and admired the construction on his new White House ballroom.
“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,” Trump began, setting the tone for what was supposed to be a serious policy discussion. He praised the industry, joked about attendance, and marveled at the size of the crowd. Then, mid-thought, his attention drifted.
While his next words made no sense, it seems he was suggesting that if the White House had a ballroom, more people could’ve been accommodated. And then the man-child moment happened. “If you look—come to think of it—wow,” Trump said, pausing. “I have to look at this myself.” He then stood up and walked away from the conference table toward the door behind him.
Trump looked out, and began narrating, “Wow, what a view.” He turned back to tell the room, “This is the door to the ballroom.” Weirdly enough, he himself acknowledged that it was an “unusual time to look.” But the very next moment, he invited the room to look at it later if they wished. “You’ll see a very big foundation,” he told them. There was absolutely no response from the room.
Then, Trump also launched into a status update on the project. The ballroom, he said, was ahead of schedule and under budget. He predicted there would be nothing like it in the world. He described seating capacity, the tightness of the current room, and how the ballroom would accommodate large events, especially inaugurations.
“It will also take care of the inaugurations, with bulletproof glass bulletproof ceilings and everything else that unfortunately today you need.”
Only after this impromptu architectural tour did Trump return to the real agenda of the meeting. The interruption only last a couple of minutes, but it was ridiculous. The meeting was convened to convince major U.S. energy companies to consider billions of dollars in investment in Venezuela following U.S. military action. And yet, before even beginning, the president’s focus shifted to a construction project.
The ballroom itself has been controversial since its announcement. Trump, however, speaks about it repeatedly with visible enthusiasm. The language Trump used on Friday, calling it “the best,” and claiming “nothing like it in the world,” was also revealing. The ballroom may belong to the White House, but Trump’s tone was unmistakably personal. It was as if he’s going to reside there forever.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
