Watch: Donald Trump loses temper with ‘third-rate reporter’ who questioned him on ballroom renovations

US President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about transparency on Wednesday regarding the $250 million White House ballroom project, which is replacing the East Wing of the White House.

During a press briefing, Trump turned on Reuters correspondent Jeff Mason, after being asked whether critics were right to say he hadn’t been transparent enough about the demolition.

“I haven’t been transparent? Really?” Trump shot back, raising mockup photos of the golden ballroom. “I’ve shown this to everybody that would listen. Third-rate reporters didn’t see it because they didn’t look. You’re a third-rate reporter — always have been.”

As Mason tried to follow up, Trump doubled down.

“Anybody that asked, these pictures have been in newspapers, they’ve been all over the place. We’re very proud of it. It’s gotten great reviews — really great reviews.”

The president then defended the construction, which began this week after workers started tearing down the East Wing facade. The new 90,000-square-foot ballroom will hold 999 guests, nearly double the size of the existing White House, and Trump insists it’s being privately funded by “patriots, great American companies — and yours truly.”

He argued the mansion needs a proper venue for state dinners, calling the current East Room “too small” and outdoor tents undignified.

“I think we’ve been more transparent than anybody’s ever been,” Trump said, wrapping up the exchange.

The National Capital Planning Commission has yet to formally sign off on the project, but the White House maintains that demolition work on federal property doesn’t require its approval.

– Ends

With inputs from agenies

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