Republicans' Trump ballroom obsession has gotten very weird | Opinion

I’ve been struggling to understand the Republican Party for quite a while, but watching conservative lawmakers trip over themselves to say President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom is the most important issue facing America? Well, it’s got me thinking the cheese has fully slid off their crackers.

The pro-ballroom fervor erupted after an armed man tried to get into the White House Correspondents' Association dinner at a Washington, DC, Hilton, where Trump and most of his Cabinet were glad-handing with the journalists they despise. The man, accused of targeting Trump and other administration officials, was stopped by security, thankfully, and arrested.

One might think the reaction to this disturbing event would be to figure out how the person obtained guns and got that close to a sitting president. What could the president’s security team have done to better secure the hotel, knowing there were such high-level U.S. officials in attendance?

Trump's ballroom obsession has reached a fever pitch

But instead, the response from Trump, his administration, GOP lawmakers and the right-wing media ecosystem has been: THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD HIS BALLROOM!

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said April 27: “We absolutely believe there are no better examples of why this ballroom is necessary.”

Trump himself wrote on social media the day before: “This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!”

For a Militarily Top Secret Ballroom, Trump sure does talk about it a lot. He’s like a kid who wants the latest PlayStation, and he’ll pitch a fit to get it if he needs to.

Republicans now want taxpayers to foot the ballroom bill

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has challenged the ballroom construction in court, but construction has been allowed to continue until a June 5 hearing.

Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham, Katie Britt and Eric Schmitt held an actual news conference on April 27 to hop on the ballroom-or-bust bandwagon, announcing legislation that would use $400 million – courtesy of taxpaying Americans – to solve America’s No. 1 crisis and build the president a gilded ballroom.

“America has a problem, and we intend to fix it,” Graham said. “This is not about Trump. It’s about the presidency of the United States. It’s about the person who occupies that office not being put at risk if they choose to go off campus.”

Let me stop you there, Sen. Ballroom. First off, $400 million? When this ballroom obsession of Trump’s began, it was going to cost $200 million, all of it donated by corporations and individuals. Now you’re saying the American people are paying for this over-glorified Ken-and-Barbie accessory?

If the only place anyone is safe is in a ballroom, America is doomed

Second, this is ENTIRELY about Donald Trump. Nobody was clamoring for a giant White House ballroom. And what’s the plan here? Is the president just never going to leave the sanctity of his palatial dance hall? Are you going to put it on wheels and let him ride in it when he hits the campaign trail, like a giant popemobile, only not that since Trump seems to hate the pope?

The correspondents' association dinner has never been held at the White House. It’s not a White House event. And this was the first time Trump was even willing to attend it as president, since he generally views the press as the enemy of the people.

So now, after an admittedly scary security breach, all any Republican can talk about is how desperately our nation needs a giant ballroom for politicians and assorted rich folks to socialize in safety.

People are struggling with food and gas prices. A ballroom is not a priority.

This is where I believe the GOP has just completely lost the narrative. Gas prices are north of $4 a gallon, according to GasBuddy. Food costs are still high. Thanks to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, farmers are struggling to get fertilizer as planting season gets underway.

And Republicans are doing a full-court press on a freakin’ ballroom? Are you kidding me?

What does Trump have on these GOP lawmakers that’s forcing them to defy all political logic and act like America’s economic woes and other problems will be solved if we just get those Corinthian columns raised and the big, beautiful ballroom open for business?

The ballroom crusade may be the weirdest political moment we've seen

Look, nobody wants to see political violence. Nobody wants a president in danger.

But telling people facing an epidemic of gun violence, struggling to put food on the table and dealing with myriad other very real problems that the government's top priority is a massive entertainment complex that will protect the rich and powerful? That’s about as loony a thing as I’ve ever heard.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @rexhuppke.bsky.social and on Facebook at facebook.com/RexIsAJerk.