Lil Wayne supports Trump's plan to build a ballroom at the White House

Amid criticism, legislative attempts to block him, and even lawsuits, Donald Trump received an unexpected compliment for the construction of a large ballroom at the White House. Rapper Lil Wayne spoke out in support of the president for promoting a project that, he said, will benefit the music industry.

During an interview on the "Friends Keep Secrets" podcast, Wayne, known for his hit "Lollipop" and for collaborating with artists such as Jay-Z, Eminem and Bruno Mars, among others, acknowledged that he likes to hear Trump talk about the ballroom.

"I’m so glad to hear Trump say, when they was mad at him about building the ballroom, and he was like, everything we do we have to do it on the d*** lawn," said Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., Wayne's birth name.

"So people who don’t know nothing, [are] hearing that thinking he’s just being Trump, no, for real, I was glad to hear him saying that," he added.

Wayne was referring to a performance he gave on the grounds of Number One Observatory Circle, the vice president's residence, in 2023 for Kamala Harris, to mark the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, stating that it felt "like a backyard barbecue."

The White House ballroom

In August 2025, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, announced the construction of a grand ballroom at the presidential residence. A project spearheaded by the Trump Administration at a cost of about $200 million that would be fully funded by the president himself and a group of interested donors.

Two months later, the list of these donors was made public, including companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta Platforms and Lockheed Martin, as well as individuals such as Stephen A. Schwarzman, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, Harold Hamm and Stefan E. Brodie.

The project sparked an intense legislative debate, with Republicans defending it as a way to provide a "safe environment" for large events and Democrats describing it as "illegal" and "vanity-driven."

In addition, Trump has faced lawsuits, such as the one filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, for remodeling the White House to include a ballroom. A judge accepted the complaint for consideration and halted construction until Congress approves it, even though the Fine Arts Commission had given the green light.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration pressed ahead with its project, setting the opening date for September 2028.