At Thursday’s state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, Donald Trump invited guests to visit the White House ballroom construction site, possibly after the entertainment. He said the ballroom was about a year from completion.
The ballroom project has faced legal challenges. The Supreme Court recently allowed construction to move forward, and the White House has argued the project is needed for security and funded by private donations rather than taxpayer money.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday evening. The dinner and bilateral meetings took place amid diplomatic tensions between the United States and China over artificial intelligence, trade and other policies.
