How much did taxpayers spend on the Obama White House basketball court and who authorized it?

1. What actually happened — a modest conversion, not a megaproject

Shortly after taking office in 2009, President Obama had the White House tennis court on the South Lawn adapted so it could be used for both tennis and basketball — by adding basketball hoops and court markings so it could accommodate a full-court game — not by razing grounds and building an extravagant new facility ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Where the $300–$376 million number came from — comparisons, viral framing

The six‑figure-plus figures circulating online arose in 2025 as critics compared Democratic and Republican renovations — notably disputes over a proposed Trump-era ballroom — and then amplified viral posts claimed Obama had “spent” hundreds of millions on a basketball court. Fact-checkers tie the high numbers to political framing and false equivalence rather than to documented invoices ^{[2] [4]}.

3. Cost and funding: records do not show a $376M line item

Multiple fact-check and news reports state no public records identify a $376 million appropriation for a 2009 court conversion; the documented action appears to have been a low-cost modification of an existing tennis court and “the exact amount … has not been disclosed,” with some reports noting the renovation was likely privately funded or paid for without a disclosed taxpayer appropriation ^{[3] [5] [6]}.

4. Who authorized the change — presidential request, routine staff work

The available sources say the adaptation was done at President Obama’s request — described as “had the White House tennis court adapted” — which is consistent with routine presidential direction over White House grounds projects; sources do not cite a specific congressional authorization or a separate multi‑million appropriation connected to the conversion ^{[1] [2]}. Available sources do not mention a formal budget authorization process that produced a $376M line item.

5. Conflicting accounts and limitations in the record

Reporting notes two relevant facts that create ambiguity: the White House declined to disclose an itemized budget for the 2009 work, and some outlets say the Obamas “covered the cost themselves,” which would place spending outside federal procurement records ^{[6] [5]}. That means while there’s no documented taxpayer bill for $376M, available sources do not fully detail every payment stream for the renovation ^{[6] [3]}.

6. Why fact‑checkers treat the $376M claim as false

Snopes and other fact‑checks underline that the court already existed as a tennis court (installed decades earlier) and that Obama’s changes involved marking lines and adding hoops — actions inconsistent with construction projects costing hundreds of millions — which is why outlets label the viral dollar figures false or massively inflated ^{[2] [7] [8]}.

7. Political context: comparison to later projects and rhetorical use

The exaggerated cost claim re‑emerged in 2025 amid controversy over a proposed Trump-era White House ballroom costing tens or hundreds of millions; critics and defenders on both sides used selective comparisons to justify or condemn current work, and viral posts weaponized the Obama court story as precedent without supporting documentation ^{[2] [4]}.

8. Bottom line and what remains unknown

Bottom line: available reporting shows the 2009 action was an adaptation of an existing tennis court to allow basketball (not a new $376M construction) and fact‑checks find no evidence of a taxpayer charge near $376M ^{[1] [2] [3]}. However, sources acknowledge the White House did not publicly disclose a detailed budget for that work and that some costs may have been privately funded or otherwise undocumented in public appropriations records ^{[6] [5]}.

If you want, I can pull the exact language from the Obama White House archive page and the Snopes fact‑check side‑by‑side to show how each source describes the work and funding.