On Senate Floor, Warren Objects to Rubber-Stamping Trump’s Golden Ballroom, Argues for Lowering Costs for Families Instead

On Senate Floor, Warren Objects to Rubber-Stamping Trump's Golden Ballroom, Argues for Lowering Costs for Families Instead

Video of Exchange (YouTube)

Washington, D.C. - In response to Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) calling for unanimous consent for his bill to rubber-stamp President Trump's gold-encrusted ballroom, Senator Warren objected on the Senate floor, calling Trump's latest vanity project "a giant slap in the face to American families."

"American families are getting flattened by rising costs on just about everything from groceries to rent to gas…But what's the biggest issue of the day, according to Republicans in Congress? Fast-tracking Donald Trump's gold-encrusted ballroom," Senator Warren highlighted.

Senator Warren also laid out alternative proposals that Congress could prioritize to help working Americans, like reversing Republicans' health care cuts, delivering affordable child care to American families, undoing Republicans' cuts to food assistance for families, stopping Trump's across-the-board tariffs, and ending Donald Trump's war with Iran.

"I want to be clear: It's common sense that we can of course protect the president without shoveling millions into Trump's ballroom in the middle of an affordability crisis," said Senator Warren.

Senator Warren called out ongoing questions of corruption with President Trump's ballroom, including the secrecy of the ballroom donors.

"What do they have to hide? And what are all these donors expecting in return?...If Trump is using his ballroom to facilitate a giant pay-to-play scheme, the American people deserve to know," said Senator Warren.

"Instead of dumping even more money into Trump's golden ballroom, we need to put an end to this corruption and focus on lowering costs for American families. That is what Democrats are laser-focused on. Republicans should join us to get it done," Senator Warren concluded.

Transcript: Objection on the Senate Floor to Senator Rand Paul's Giving Congress the Power to Rubber Stamp Trump Ballroom
U.S. Senate Floor
April 29, 2026

As Prepared for Delivery

Senator Warren: Reserving the right to object.

Donald Trump promised to lower costs on "Day One." Well, today is Day 464 of Donald Trump's presidency, and we are in a full-blown affordability crisis.

We are two months into Trump's illegal war with Iran - a war that, according to experts, is costing over a billion taxpayer dollars a day.

American families are getting flattened by rising costs on just about everything from groceries to rent to gas. Just today, gas prices hit a new high since Trump started his war.

People are stretching themselves to the brink just to pay their bills.

But what's the biggest issue of the day, according to Republicans in Congress? Fast-tracking Donald Trump's gold-encrusted ballroom.

Another recent Republican plan would send $400 million dollars to the White House, I guess to buy more gold leaf and onyx marble for the wannabe king.

I want to be clear: It's common sense that we can of course protect the president without shoveling millions into Trump's ballroom in the middle of an affordability crisis.

This bill to rubber-stamp Trump's latest vanity project is a giant slap in the face to American families, plain and simple.

Americans are selling their plasma to pay for groceries and gas.

Think about that. People are selling their blood just to get by.

And what's Republicans' solution? Dump more money into Donald Trump's gold-encrusted vanity project.

Here are a few ideas for other things we can fast-track to actually help the American people:

We could reverse Trump and Republicans' giant health care cuts that kicked millions of Americans off of their health insurance and jacked up insurance premiums for millions more.

We could deliver affordable child care for every American family.

We could undo Republicans' cuts to food assistance for families.

We could put a stop to Trump's across-the-board tariffs.

We could end Donald Trump's war with Iran.

The list goes on and on. But nowhere on the list of ways to lower costs for American families is rubber-stamping Donald Trump's lavish ballroom.

Remember: Trump's ballroom has already become a tool for what looks like corruption in broad daylight.

Since Day One, giant corporations have lined up to dump millions into Trump's ballroom. That includes:

Meta

Apple

Amazon

Google

Microsoft

Comcast

Coinbase

and Palantir

And those are just a handful of the donors we know of. Others are being kept a secret from the American people because Donald Trump let them stay anonymous.

What do they have to hide? And what are all these donors expecting in return?

And by the way, if Congress bankrolls this ballroom for Trump's corporate donors, like other Republicans are proposing, what happens to all those private donations?

If Trump is using his ballroom to facilitate a giant pay-to-play scheme, the American people deserve to know.

Instead of dumping even more money into Trump's golden ballroom, we need to put an end to this corruption and focus on lowering costs for American families.

That is what Democrats are laser-focused on. Republicans should join us to get it done.

I object.

###