Trump claims donor funded White House ballroom includes hidden build below with security focus
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the military is constructing a “massive complex” beneath a planned White House ballroom, which he said will feature bulletproof glass and drone-proof protections while being funded entirely by private donors. The project, which Trump said is designed to accommodate large events and visiting dignitaries, would expand capacity at the White House, where he said existing rooms are too small for major gatherings. “The military is building a massive complex under the ballroom, and that’s under construction, and we’re doing very well,” Trump said. Trump said the underground construction is already underway and tied to broader security measures surrounding the site, describing the ballroom as serving a dual purpose tied to what is being built beneath it. DEMS MOVE TO SET LIMITS ON TRUMP’S DONOR-FUNDED WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, CLAIMING ‘BRIBERY IN PLAIN SIGHT’ The ballroom itself will include a range of security upgrades, including reinforced materials and structural protections designed to guard against modern threats. “We have all bulletproof glass. We have drone-proof roofs, ceilings,” Trump said. “Everything is drone-proof and bulletproof, and unfortunately, we’re living in an age where that’s a good thing.” Trump said the project is being privately funded and will not rely on taxpayer dollars, emphasizing that the ballroom is being financed through personal contributions and outside donors. FEDERAL JUDGE QUESTIONS TRUMP AUTHORITY ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT The ballroom proposal was approved in February by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which fast-tracked the roughly $400 million project following a unanimous vote of 6-0. The project will be built on the site of the former East Wing, which was demolished in October, and is expected to significantly expand the White House’s capacity for large events. Previous administrations have long relied on temporary structures to host major gatherings, as the old East Wing dining room had just a 200-seat capacity. MICHELLE OBAMA TAKES SWIPE AT TRUMP’S DEMOLITION OF WHITE HOUSE EAST WING “All of the money paid is paid by myself and donors…it’s all donors,” Trump said. “There’s not one dime of government money going into the ballroom.” He added that construction is progressing quickly and remains on track, describing the effort as both ahead of schedule and under budget as work continues. “We’re ahead of schedule and under budget,” Trump said. Trump also described the ballroom as being designed to match the look and scale of the White House, including its height and architectural style, calling it a tribute to the historic building. “I think it’ll be the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world,” Trump said. “It pays total homage to the White House, which is, I think, very important.”
Trump dominates CPAC poll as conservatives rally behind agenda, back Iran action
A new survey highlights President Donald Trump’s continued dominance within the conservative movement. According to a poll of more than 1,600 attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), held this past week from March 25–28, an overwhelming 96% said they approve of the job Trump is doing as president. An additional 94% agreed with the statement that Trump has been “the best president in my lifetime.” Support for Trump’s policy agenda was similarly strong. The survey found that 91% of respondents back tariffs aimed at reducing the trade deficit and boosting American workers and businesses. TRUMP GETS HIGH MARKS FROM REPUBLICANS WHEN TICKING OFF ECONOMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS Another 89% support Trump’s military action in Iran to remove Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and halt the country’s nuclear program, while 92% approve of the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Other leading Republicans also received high marks among respondents. Vice President JD Vance earned a 92% approval rating, while House Speaker Mike Johnson received 84%. Senate Majority Leader John Thune trailed with 57%. 1 IN 4 AMERICANS BACK TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES, MOST SAY HE’S TOO QUICK TO USE FORCE: POLL Within Trump’s Cabinet, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ranked as the most popular, with 42% naming him their favorite. He was followed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The poll also offered an early glimpse at the GOP’s future. In a hypothetical 2028 Republican primary, Vance leads with 53% support, ahead of Rubio at 35%, with all other contenders in single digits. SCATHING REPORT CLAIMS NATION’S OLDEST LABOR UNION ‘BETRAYED’ MAGA MEMBERS THROUGH ‘SHOCKING’ SPENDING On the Democratic side, respondents identified California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as the most articulate figures on the political left. Founded in 1964, CPAC is the nation’s oldest conservative grassroots gathering and promotes the values of “life, liberty, and property.” Among survey participants, 86% were from the South, and the average age was approximately 49.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to what to expect on DHS funding when the Senate meets Monday
The DHS funding drama heads back to the Senate on Monday morning after the House approved a two-month stopgap spending plan for all of DHS late Friday night. The Senate meets on Monday at 10:30 am et in what was supposed to be a brief “pro forma” session where the body simply gavels in and gavels out with a skeleton crew on hand. But that might not be what happens Monday. As soon as the Senate gets through the prayer and pledge, it’s likely a Republican senator seeks recognition from the chair. If that happens, we anticipate the GOP senator to ask for unanimous consent (meaning all 100 senators would agree) to take up the DHS bill passed by the House on Friday, that it be “read a third time” and passed. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHAT’S NEXT TO END THE DHS SHUTDOWN The chair will then ask if there is an objection. If any senator – be they a Democrat or Republican – objects, the House bill is dead. That means that the House and Senate continue to be out of alignment on the DHS funding question. For instance, the House didn’t even consider the bill cleared by all 100 senators and passed by the Senate at 2:19 am Friday. The House simply wrote their own two-month interim bill, passed it Friday night and skipped town. If there is no objection, the House and Senate are aligned and will have passed the same bill. That means they are on the same page. Approval of the House bill by the Senate would end the DHS shutdown. But if there’s an objection, everything remains frozen. This is both the parliamentary magic – and dark underbelly of “unanimous consent” in the Senate. You could have 99 senators in favor of something. But all it takes is a solitary objection to foil a bill under “unanimous consent” or “UC” as it’s often called in the Senate. In fact, it’s possible that Democrats could then offer their own DHS funding bill and ask the Senate to approve that by unanimous consent. It’s likely that whatever Republican senator is on duty tomorrow would object, thus blocking the Democratic request. If the Senate blocks the House bill, it’s doubtful there’s any way to end the DHS shutdown until after both bodies return in mid-April after the Easter/Passover recess. DHS SHUTDOWN BREAKTHROUGH COMES AT COST FOR REPUBLICANS AS FUNDING FIGHTS NEARS END Republicans truly want to fund DHS. But a Democratic objection presents the GOP with a political opportunity. They can then point to that objection as the reason DHS remains shuttered, arguing that Democrats blocked the House-approved bill. Republicans believe this helps them in the midterms. They ran on border security and won in 2024. Republicans want to point to a Democratic objection as evidence that they don’t want to fund ICE. But by the same token, Democrats could argue that Republicans are partly responsible for the shutdown and the long TSA lines if they object to the Democratic unanimous consent request. And so it goes.
Scathing report claims nation’s oldest labor union ‘betrayed’ MAGA members through ‘shocking’ spending
FIRST ON FOX: One of the nation’s most prominent railroad unions is facing new scrutiny after a watchdog report alleged its leadership is quietly working against the political views of its members who support President Donald Trump’s agenda. The report, released by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), claims the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), one of the nation’s oldest labor unions, is run by leaders who are endorsing and promoting Democratic policies and candidates despite a membership base that data suggests largely supports the president. The report, which alleges the union “betrayed” its MAGA members, points to the union’s endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket in the 2024 election cycle, as well as its ties to prominent Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running for Senate again. While BLET has touted Republicans in recent years, including earlier this year when it applauded Vice President JD Vance and the bipartisan reintroduction of the Railway Safety Act (RSA), the report highlights repeated criticism of Trump-era policies, including transportation regulations, immigration enforcement and the conservative-backed Project 2025 agenda, alongside praise for the policies of the Biden administration. WORKERS SAY ‘I LIKE UNIONS, I JUST DON’T LIKE MY UNION’ — HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE DISCOVERING A review of the union’s social media account by AAF shows numerous examples of the union opposing various moves by the first Trump administration during his presidential campaign against incumbent Joe Biden, which the report describes as evidence of “woke leadership.” “In the lead-up to the 2024 election, BLET issued 14 tweets that criticized the actions of the first Trump administration while praising the Biden administration’s railroad policies,” the report says. “The messaging was clearly intended to skew union members toward the Democratic presidential ticket. In these tweets, they attacked nearly every major Trump-era rail policy decision while framing the Biden administration’s actions positively.” The union’s public support of Democrats had a financial angle as well, as the report states that the organization spent more than $26 million on political activity in recent years, with the vast majority supporting Democratic candidates and causes to a degree that AAF referred to as “shocking.” According to the report, 99% of the union’s party committee donations went to Democrats. “For example, in the 2016 cycle, BLET donated $15,000 to the DNC when they were the nexus for GOTV for the Hillary Clinton campaign but never donated a dollar to the RNC,” the report says. “In 2024, long after it had become clear that industrial union membership was strongly behind President Trump, the BLET leadership still hadn’t gotten the message, making 24 different donations to Democrat party committees for a total of $53,400 and a mere two donations to Republican committees for a spare $2000.” LEAKED TEACHERS’ UNION K-12 TRAINING PRESENTATION RAILS AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, RED STATES According to the report, the divide reflects a broader shift in American politics, with blue-collar workers increasingly backing Trump while union leadership remains entrenched in traditional left-leaning positions. The report goes beyond the union’s spending on politics and delves into what it calls “waste and abuse” in the form of millions of dollars of member dues being shelled out for travel, hotels and “swag.” “While it’s bad enough that BLET spent over $5,000,000 on hotels and conferences, even more concerning is the fact that the union spent over $2,000,000 on casinos and resorts alone,” the report says. “The union appears more concerned with staying at entertaining destination resorts than they do being thrifty with their members’ dues.” Recent polling shows that labor unions like BLET consist of a large number of workers who support Trump, including Teamsters polling that shows a 60/40 breakdown in favor of Trump and exit polling from the 2024 election that shows working-class voters without a college degree went 56% for Trump and 42% for Harris. The report also points to leadership compensation as part of the disconnect, noting multiple top officials earning over $200,000 annually, with the union president and vice president each making more than $300,000. “The men pulling America’s freight voted for President Trump because they believe in secure borders and putting American workers first,” AAF President Tom Jones said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “But their union bosses are busy living large on member dues and carrying water for the Left. They’ve turned a blue-collar brotherhood into a woke political machine that’s doing everything it can against the Trump-Vance agenda, and likewise, against everyday railroad workers. Every BLET member should be asking where their hard-earned dollars are really going.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, a BLET spokesperson said: “We do not comment on false press releases by dark money groups who have no accountability to the truth.”
Iran hits industrial zone in southern Israel
NewsFeed An Iranian missile barrage has caused a fire a chemical plant near Beersheba in southern Israel, following expanded attacks on Iranian infrastructure. Published On 29 Mar 202629 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Houthis open new front against Israel, is Red Sea shipping at risk?
NewsFeed The Houthis in Yemen have launched their first attacks on Israel, opening a new front in the month-long regional war. Al Jazeera’s Virginia Pietromarchi explains why the move could raise new risks for oil shipping, and civilians in Yemen. Published On 29 Mar 202629 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
‘We can insure the ship, but we cannot insure a human life.’
NewsFeed International Maritime Organization chief Arsenio Dominguez warns of 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, as canceled insurance, mounting mental strain and the risk to ‘innocent seafarers’ drive urgent calls for a humanitarian corridor and de-escalation. Published On 29 Mar 202629 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
CM Rekha Gupta says Delhi budget prioritises infrastructure with focus on PM Modi’s ‘4S’ mantra
The Chief Minister emphasised focus on new roads, improved re-carpeting, and accelerated development in unauthorised colonies, slums, and villages, ensuring speed and quality.
New pro-AI group backed by Trump allies plans $100M midterm spending push
A new pro-AI political group is jumping into the 2026 midterms with plans to spend more than $100 million, marking a major escalation in efforts to shape U.S. tech policy. The organization, Innovation Council Action, is championed by tech investor and White House AI advisor David Sacks and is closely aligned with President Donald Trump’s agenda. It plans to support candidates who favor deregulation while opposing those pushing for stricter AI rules. The move underscores how artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a central political battleground, with deep-pocketed groups preparing to reward allies and pressure critics ahead of the elections. TRUMP NAMES DAVID SACKS CO-CHAIR OF TECH ADVISORY COUNCIL, EXPANDING AI, CRYPTO ROLE “President Trump has made it clear, America will win the AI race against China, period. He built the framework, he’s leading from the front, and this organization exists to make sure he doesn’t fight that battle alone,” Taylor Budowich, founder of Innovation Council Action, told Fox News Digital. “The cavalry is coming to back up the policymakers who stand with the president and will hold accountable the ones who don’t,” Budowich added. Trump has made AI a cornerstone of his policy agenda, calling for a single federal regulatory framework instead of a patchwork of state laws, while pushing to accelerate development of infrastructure like data centers and strengthen U.S. competitiveness against China. AI POWER PLAYERS POUR CASH INTO COMPETITIVE PRIMARIES AS 2026 MIDTERMS HEAT UP Innovation Council Action enters an increasingly crowded field of AI-focused political spending. Leading the Future, another pro-industry group, has reported raising $50 million from tech figures including Greg Brockman, Joe Lonsdale and Marc Andreessen. Meta is also backing a separate super PAC expected to spend roughly $65 million, with a focus on state-level races. Innovation Council Action has been quietly building its presence in Washington, opening a D.C. office and raising funds since late last year. The group has also developed a scorecard ranking lawmakers based on their alignment with Trump’s AI agenda, a tool expected to guide its political spending in the months ahead, according to Axios.
Goa sex scandal: Who is Soham Sushant Naik? 20-year-old son of Goa councillor accused of multiple sexual assaults, filming acts
Naik is currently in the Crime Branch’s custody, while attempts are underway to reach out to more potential victims, a senior official privy to the investigation told PTI. The Crime Branch has sent Naik’s mobile phone for forensic examination.