{"id":224,"date":"2026-06-30T19:43:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T19:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/longdistancemoversusas.com\/?p=224"},"modified":"2026-06-30T19:43:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T19:43:35","slug":"maddowblog-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/longdistancemoversusas.com\/?p=224","title":{"rendered":"MaddowBlog"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Those looking for a simple phrase to help summarize Donald Trump\u2019s second term could do worse than \u201cno-bid contract.\u201d Indeed, it has been difficult to keep up on all of the assorted projects championed by the president that have bypassed the normal bidding process the federal government has relied on for many years.<\/p>\n

Read more The U.S.-Iran war just entered a new phase. Here\u2019s what\u2019s at stake.<\/a><\/p>\n

Reflecting Pool renovations? No-bid contract. Applying gold-toned coating to horse statues by the Lincoln Memorial? No-bid contract. Repairing ornamental fountains in Lafayette Park? No-bid contract.<\/p>\n

And then, of course, there\u2019s Trump\u2019s beloved White House ballroom project, which is the subject of a striking new report from The Washington Post.<\/p>\n

\n

White House officials last year secretly awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million for the construction of the East Wing ballroom in an unusual arrangement that sidestepped typical contracting procedures designed to control costs, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by The Washington Post.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The confidential contract went to Maryland-based Clark Construction, the same company Trump also awarded a no-bid contract to for the Lafayette Park project.<\/p>\n

According to the Post\u2019s report, which has not been independently verified by MS NOW, the president was \u201cdirectly involved\u201d in negotiating some details of the project.<\/p>\n

The White House budget has long included funds for Office of the Executive Residence, which covers spending on things such as furniture and routine repairs. According to the documents obtained by the Post, Team Trump routed a massive no-bid contract for the president\u2019s ballroom through this office, which is \u201cexempt from rules that require federal agencies to solicit competitive bids and disclose details to the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more HUD chief is epitome of Trump administration\u2019s dream to end separation of church and state<\/a><\/p>\n

The White House made no effort to deny any of this. On the contrary, a spokesperson claimed that the contract was issued through the Executive Residence because that office \u201cwill be the primary support of the facility.\u201d<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s take stock. Trump destroyed the East Wing after saying he wouldn\u2019t. He said the ballroom would cost $200 million and taxpayers wouldn\u2019t have to pay a dime, only to have the price tag balloon, with evidence showing taxpayers on the hook for more than half of the project\u2019s costs.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s against this backdrop that the Post reported that Trump also personally helped negotiate the terms of a no-bid contract for a business he likes, running it through an office that allowed him to circumvent competitive contract rules.<\/p>\n

In case this isn\u2019t obvious, The New Republic recently summarized, \u201cThe lack of a bidding process means that the government, and by extension, taxpayers, could easily be overcharged by contractors, and the rushed projects mean that the work could be shoddy and cause permanent damage to important landmarks in the nation\u2019s capital.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last week, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, called on the Government Accountability Office to investigate the funding surrounding the ballroom project. Watch this space.<\/p>\n

Read more MaddowBlog<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trump\u2019s ballroom project was already an unpopular mess. Allegations about a secret no-bid contract worth up to $500 million make it even worse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nMaddowBlog - Long Distance Movers USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/longdistancemoversusas.com\/?p=224\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MaddowBlog - Long Distance Movers USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Trump\u2019s ballroom project was already an unpopular mess. 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