Trump Fundraisers Sought Microsoft’s White House Ballroom Donation
▼ Summary
– The Trump administration solicited Microsoft for a donation to fund a privately financed $300 million White House ballroom, according to documents released by Senator Elizabeth Warren.
– Microsoft confirmed it was contacted by a fundraiser, attended a donor dinner, and was instructed on donating through the Trust for the National Mall, a National Park Service partner.
– Amazon also communicated with the project’s fundraising group starting in August 2025 but stated it did not review plans or finalize a donation agreement.
– Comcast pledged an unrestricted donation to the same trust with no conditions or expectations of receiving anything in return.
– Other tech companies like Meta, Nvidia, and Apple provided less detail, with Apple stating its donation was handled ethically and in full legal compliance.
Newly released documents show that fundraising efforts for a major White House renovation project during the previous administration directly solicited contributions from leading technology firms. The Trump administration approached Microsoft for a donation to fund the White House’s proposed $300 million ballroom, according to correspondence made public by the office of Senator Elizabeth Warren. This information came to light in response to a letter from Democratic lawmakers questioning the role of large technology companies in the ballroom’s construction plans.
In her written response, Microsoft counsel Karen Christian confirmed the company was contacted by a fundraiser about a possible contribution. This outreach occurred roughly two months after the public announcement of plans to replace the White House’s East Wing with a privately funded ballroom. Christian noted that Microsoft received details about the Trust for the National Mall’s role in managing donations for the project, which was a partner of the National Park Service. The company also got instructions on how to donate and an invitation to a dinner for project supporters, which Microsoft representatives attended.
Other corporate giants provided similar accounts. Amazon’s vice president of public policy, Brian Huseman, acknowledged in a separate letter that the e-commerce company had communicated with the fundraising group starting in August 2025. Huseman clarified that Amazon did not review any construction plans or enter into a formal agreement regarding a donation. Comcast’s response stated it had pledged an unrestricted donation to the Trust for the National Mall, with no specific conditions on how the funds were to be used. The company emphasized it made the contribution with no expectation of receiving anything in return.
Letters from several other prominent companies, including Meta, Nvidia, and Apple, offered fewer specifics about their involvement in the donation process. Apple’s head of government affairs, Tim Powderly, wrote that his company’s donation was handled in an ethical and lawful manner, fully compliant with all regulations. The released correspondence collectively underscores the broad outreach to corporate entities for private funding of a significant federal property renovation, raising questions about the intersection of political fundraising and public infrastructure.
(Source: The Verge)
