A liberal podcaster has floated a wild conspiracy theory about President Donald Trump's true intentions for the massive ballroom he is building at the White House, suggesting it could be used to help him stay in power beyond his term.
Podcaster's Claims
Anthony Davis, host of MeidasTouch's The Weekend Show, said during an episode released on Monday that there is a genuine fear Trump may refuse to leave office. "There is a fear that he ain't leaving, and that is something to be taken very seriously," the British broadcaster stated. "It almost sounds humorous that he wouldn't, but he will. He said in a rally speech, and I'll never forget it, that his greatest regret was leaving the White House in 2021, and he should've just, you know, hunkered down."
Last month, the 79-year-old president announced that the military is constructing a "massive complex" beneath the $400 million ballroom, featuring "high grade bulletproof glass." Davis expressed concern that this underground facility could serve authoritarian purposes. "He's building an additional 100,000 square feet to hunker down this time with a military installation below this giant ballroom that will clearly never be used for balls," he claimed.
Trump's Explanation
President Trump has described the bunker in different terms. On March 29, he told reporters aboard Air Force One: "The ballroom essentially becomes a shed for what's being built under the military, including from drones and including from any other thing." When the ballroom was first announced last year, the administration said it would accommodate large events currently requiring tents on the White House lawn, with a seated capacity of 650 people, a significant increase from the East Room's 200-person capacity.
Concerns Over Term Limits
During the podcast, Davis asked his guest, Kristen Clarke, general counsel for the NAACP, whether she feared a coup. Clarke, a former Biden administration official, responded: "The Constitution makes clear that his time is coming to an end. And I hope that the courts will hold on this very simple provision of the Constitution that makes clear that he's gotta go."
Trump has repeatedly and without evidence claimed the 2020 election was stolen, and since returning to the White House, he has suggested he may try to stay beyond two terms, which would violate the 22nd Amendment. On Monday, he quipped to business leaders that he might depart "eight or nine years from now."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has accused the media of overreacting, saying: "Look, you guys continue to ask the president this question about a third term, and then he answers honestly and candidly with a smile, and then everybody here melts down about his answer."
