Trump touts White House ballroom after GOP midterm losses

After the GOP’s losses in the midterms, President Trump hosted a celebratory event in the unfinished ballroom that stood in stark contrast with his new political reality in Washington.

Washington — President Trump touted the construction of the White House ballroom in his first appearance since Republicans' overwhelming losses in the midterm elections, hosting a celebratory event that stood in stark contrast with his new political reality in Washington.The president assembled reporters and construction workers in the unfinished massive new structure, where the building's final steel beam was set to be hoisted into the ceiling. The president praised the addition of the ballroom and nearby helipad to the White House complex as a "thing of beauty," declaring that his administration has "beautified" Washington, D.C. "This is a special structure," he said as workers in hardhats, staffers and reporters surrounded him.

"It's going to be not only one of the biggest, but it'll be the most beautiful ballroom I think anywhere in the world." He praised the quality of the building's construction and its security features, saying presidents have wanted to build a large event space for decades but failed to do so. "This is the most powerful building, structurally the most powerful building they say ever built," he said. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum lauded Mr. Trump as "our builder-in-chief, the greatest builder that has ever been president of the United States.""Today, of course, is a day of celebration and a day of gratitude," Burgum said.The president put his signature