Did Donald Trump claim to have permits for a ballroom and when did he say this?
Executive summary
President Trump told people involved in the White House ballroom project that they did not need to follow permitting, zoning or code requirements because the structure is on White House grounds, according to multiple news reports citing people familiar with his comments (New York Times) [1]. That remark has been reported in the context of construction and demolition activity that began before full planning submissions to federal review bodies were filed (Detroit News, Washington Post, Reuters) [2] [3] [4].
1. What Trump reportedly said — and who reported it
The New York Times, reporting from interviews with three people familiar with the project, wrote that Trump told teams working on the ballroom they “did not need to follow permitting, zoning or code requirements because the structure is on White House grounds” [1]. The Independent summarized the same reporting and quoted a remark attributed to Trump at a donor meeting — “Sir, you can start tonight… You have zero zoning conditions, you’re the president” — as paraphrased in coverage of the Times report [5]. These are contemporaneous news accounts relying on unnamed sources close to the project rather than on an on-the-record White House transcript [1] [5].
2. When he is reported to have said it
The New York Times published its story on Nov. 29, 2025, and describes the comment as something Trump told people working on the ballroom while the design and demolition phase unfolded earlier in 2025 [1]. Other coverage places construction and demolition activity — including the East Wing demolition and site prep — in September–October 2025, with planning filings still pending as of early December 2025 [2] [3]. The reporting therefore situates the permitting comment in the months after the project was announced in July and during site work in September–November 2025 [6] [2].
3. What the White House says publicly
The White House announced the ballroom project on July 31, 2025, saying it would be privately funded and begin in September 2025 [6]. Official statements emphasize private funding and intent to work with “appropriate organizations” and the Secret Service’s role in security modifications [6]. Reporting that Trump told builders they could ignore permits is based on accounts from people working on the project rather than a formal White House denial or confirmation quoted in the cited pieces [1] [5].
4. Where permitting oversight actually sits — and what reporters noted
News accounts note federal planning bodies have jurisdiction over major renovations in the capital and that filings to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) were expected in December 2025, months after demolition and site preparation began [2]. The NCPC chair, appointed by Trump, said plans would be filed “sometime in December,” highlighting tension between on-the-ground work and formal review processes [2]. Reporters flagged that site preparation and demolition began before sign-off from the commission [2].
5. Why this matters: ethics, legality and optics
Journalists and analysts raised ethical and legal questions about donations, approvals and potential conflicts of interest as the privately funded ballroom moved forward; FactCheck.org detailed ethics concerns tied to fundraising and cost claims and noted shifting public estimates of the project’s price [7]. Law, oversight and federal permitting processes remain central to whether routine local codes apply on federal property; reporting shows disagreement between how project proponents described the path forward and how planning bodies expect to be engaged [7] [2].
6. Competing viewpoints and reporting limits
The Times and outlets that republished its reporting rely on unnamed sources “familiar with” the project for the permitting quote [1]. The White House’s public announcement frames the project as compliant and funded without taxpayer dollars [6]. Available sources do not include a direct, on-the-record quote from Trump in which he says “I have permits” or a formal written permit filed before demolition; instead, the reporting records Trump asserting presidential authority or making remarks interpreted as saying standard zoning constraints did not apply [1] [5]. If you seek a verbatim, dated on-the-record quote where Trump claims to “have permits,” that specific formulation is not shown in the current reporting [1] [5].
7. Bottom line for readers
Multiple major outlets report that Trump told workers they did not need to follow ordinary permitting, zoning or code rules because the ballroom is on White House grounds [1] [5]. That remark was reported during the project's demolition and site-preparation phase in late 2025, months after the July announcement and before full design filings to federal planning commissions [6] [2]. The claim rests on anonymous sources and is contested by the White House’s public statements about following appropriate processes, so readers should weigh both the reporting and the limits of on-the-record documentation [1] [6].