Pennsylvania Democrat Brendan Boyle has netizens divided after he sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project during a recent appearance on MSNBC’s The Weekend Primetime. Boyle, the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, argued that the administration is prioritizing a lavish construction project over economic concerns affecting households nationwide.
He condemned the ballroom as a “vanity project” and described it as a symbol of what he believes matters most to Trump. “It drives me nuts,” Boyle said during the segment. “The idea that we the taxpayers would have to fork out a billion dollars… It is an absolute disgrace.”
He also quoted the infamous phrase “let them eat cake” when talking about what he described as the president’s attitude toward the struggles facing everyday Americans. “To the rest of the American people who are paying higher gas prices, who are losing their health care, who are paying higher food prices, let them eat cake. I don’t care. I’m President Trump and I apparently have one to two meetings every single day about this damn stupid ballroom,” Boyle mocked.
The Pennsylvania congressman’s comments about Trump have been met with both praise and backlash from the public.
Some people strongly agreed with Boyle and accused Trump of being more focused on the ballroom construction than the country’s problems. One person wrote, “Nobody wants the stupid vanity ballroom for Trump… wake up America!” Another commenter said it was “not a vanity project but an insanity project.” A third added, “America & our economy are suffering, while Trump builds shrines to himself & makes billions. SHAME!!”
Another group, however, dismissed Boyle’s criticism and defended both Trump and the ballroom project. “He cares for the safety of all future presidents and takes great pride in building something that will pay dividends the second it’s completed,” one netizen on X claimed. Someone else argued that voters support the project, writing, “We voters love it! And it is not just a ballroom. Dems just have to lie. It is not costing us anything, but the job will fund hundreds of jobs.”
Another commenter criticized Boyle directly. “All you can think about is Trump, Trump, Trump instead of making America great. Please try,” the comment read.
NewsNation has reported that the $1 billion proposal for the White House ballroom would also include funding for the Secret Service “for a variety of other priorities,” including training and improved security measures, according to White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson. Pennsylvania Congressman Boyle has made his point, however.
