President Donald Trump dismissed the idea of upgrading the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room during a White House press conference on Monday, responding with humor after a reporter asked if the facility could be expanded to add more seats.

The exchange occurred after Trump recently announced plans to build a grand ballroom at the White House.

A reporter asked the president, “You are building a big, beautiful ballroom… could we build a big, beautiful briefing room, add more seats?” Several other members of the press shouted in agreement.

Trump quickly shook his head, smiled, and said, “I don’t want to do that.”

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He added, “I don’t want you to be comfortable. I don’t want to do that.”

The remark drew laughter from the press corps, including some reporters known for their contentious relationship with the president.

Standing alongside Trump at the time were Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi, both of whom laughed at the president’s comments.

Trump repeated, “No, I don’t want to make life comfortable,” reinforcing his lighthearted refusal.

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During the same briefing, Trump praised White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for her work.

“Where’s my superstar? Come here, Karoline. Is she doing a good job by the way?” Trump asked, calling her to join him behind the podium.

Leavitt noted that the press room was the most crowded she had ever seen and said it was one reason a ballroom would be useful.

The president’s ballroom project was first revealed during an interview on the “Pod Force One” podcast with Miranda Devine.

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Trump said the idea was inspired by the large and ornate ballrooms found in European palaces and state residences.

“In the White House, as you know, for 150 years, they’ve wanted to have a ballroom. They don’t have a ballroom,” Trump said.

“They have meeting rooms. They have those beautiful… beautiful meeting rooms. But they’ve never had a ballroom.”

He explained that a ballroom would allow the White House to host up to 600 or 700 guests for state dinners when foreign leaders visit.

“If the President of China or France, or the U.K., or [EU President] Ursula von der Leyen comes to town, you give them a big state dinner,” Trump said. “We don’t have a room like that. At the White House, they have to use a tent.”

Trump described the current tent arrangement as inadequate, citing flooding issues.

“If it’s raining, it’s soaking wet, soggy, the area is a very low area, and all the water rushes to it. And it’s a disaster,” he said.

The president said the ballroom would replace the need for temporary structures and provide a permanent, elegant space for official events.

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“They need that at the White House. They can’t do the kinds of things they like to do in their big room. Which is a beautiful reception room, but not as a ballroom,” Trump said.

Construction on the new White House ballroom is scheduled to begin in September 2025.

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