A proposal backed by President Donald Trump and senior Republicans to pay for the White House ballroom project with federal funding has triggered criticism after earlier promises by the president that the project would not cost taxpayer money. The renewed push comes in the aftermath of a reported assassination attempt on Trump during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the Washington Hilton and is being framed by supporters as a security necessity, arguing that the incident would have never happened at a secure White House ballroom.