January 1, Joy Reid Gets White House Ballroom Facts Wrong

Wyatt’s Take

• Joy Reid wrongly blamed taxpayers for paying for Trump’s new White House ballroom.
• The project is actually being funded by Trump and private donors, not the government.
• White House renovations have happened for decades and aren’t new to Trump.

MSNBC’s Joy Reid went on air and claimed the new White House ballroom was being paid for by taxpayers. That turned out to be false—Trump and private donors are covering the costs themselves.

Reid got heated over the ballroom, arguing that government programs like food stamps and healthcare were going without money while the ballroom was moving ahead. She tied it to the ongoing government shutdown, warning folks could go hungry because “no money for food stamps, people are gonna run out of food stamps, those are not gonna be renewed. It’s gonna create a crisis of hunger across this country.”

Several top Democrats have echoed the false narrative, accusing Trump of misusing taxpayer funds for the project. In truth, the White House has seen constant changes and renovations since Theodore Roosevelt’s time, with each president adding or updating parts of the building. This isn’t the first time major work has happened at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Reid’s public outburst, along with criticism from other high-profile Democrats, does not match up with the facts about who is bankrolling the new ballroom.

If you’re tired of politicians spreading misinformation to stir up outrage, stay sharp and keep questioning what you hear on TV.

Wyatt Matters

Honest news matters now more than ever. Everyday folks deserve to know when leaders play politics with the truth. Hardworking Americans expect facts, not spin, when it comes to how their money is really being spent.

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