Money Grab/Give government contracts to family and donors
Clark Construction signs a no-bid ballroom contract worth up to $500M
The Washington Post reported on June 30, 2026, from a copy of the agreement, that Clark Construction signed a five-year contract on September 22, 2025, worth up to $500 million, to demolish the East Wing and build Trump’s ballroom. The contract was never competed and never published.
What happened
On September 22, 2025, Clark Construction signed a contract with the White House to tear down the East Wing and build the ballroom. The contract runs five years and is worth up to $500 million. It was never competed and never published. The Washington Post obtained a copy and reported it on June 30, 2026.
The White House signed the contract through the Executive Residence, the part of the presidential household exempt from the competitive-bidding and disclosure rules that govern federal construction. It cited national security as the reason not to seek bids. Trump had told the public that Clark offered to do the work “for nothing.” Clark’s own projections showed about $65 million in profit, overhead and staff costs.
By March 2026 the project estimate had reached about $600 million, with about half expected from public funds. Trump personally negotiated a $47 million price for concrete with a Clark subsidiary. The contract’s terms remain confidential.
Who benefited
Clark Construction got a half-billion-dollar job without competing for it. Trump got his ballroom on his terms without the review a normal federal project requires. Clark then received a second no-bid job from the Park Service across the street.
Who wanted something
Trump did not want bidding, oversight or delay, and the Executive Residence is the one path on the White House grounds where none of those applies. He had told the public the work would be done “for nothing.” Clark’s projections showed about $65 million in profit, overhead and staff costs.
Who lost out
A project the public was told was a gift is roughly half taxpayer-funded, on a $600 million estimate, awarded without competition, under a contract that had to be leaked to be seen. The builders who might have bid were never asked. You pay the public half.
Why it matters
The $500 million contract was signed through the Executive Residence, the one office on the White House grounds exempt from bidding and disclosure rules. No one outside the building could see it until the Washington Post obtained a copy in June 2026. The donor list is public. The contract was not.
Sources The Washington Post (via Daily Herald)IBTimes UKThe White House (primary)