Podcaster Anthony Davis of the progressive outlet MeidasTouch suggested that President Trump’s ballroom project is not simply a venue, but could be used as the site of an effort to stage a coup at the end of a second term in order to remain in power.
He asserted the claim without any evidence, pointing instead to Trump’s past comments following Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, when he said he wished he had “hunkered down.” Davis cited that remark as the basis for his belief that Trump would attempt to stay in office despite constitutional limits preventing a third term.
The argument, like every argument against Trump from the left, rests on the idea that Trump would seek to retain power beyond his current eligibility to run again, as they continue to call him a King, with no regard for Constitutional restraints. A rich statement coming from Democrats, who see the founding document as a barrier to their policy goals, and not something to be respected.
Anthony Davis, a MeidasTouch podcast host, claims without evidence that Trump's ballroom renovation is really for an underground military bunker where he will organize a coup when he is supposed to leave office.
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) May 4, 2026
He also thinks SCOTUS chose to end race-based gerrymandering out of… pic.twitter.com/MqqNvwQBld
"There is a fear that he ain't leaving," Davis said. "And that is something to be taken very seriously, because, you know, it almost sounds humorous that he wouldn't. But he will. And he's, he said in a rally speech, I'll never forget it, that his greatest regret was leaving the White House in 2021. And he should have just, you know, hunkered down. He's building an additional 100,000 square feet to give him the opportunity to hunker down this time with a military installation below this giant ballroom that will clearly never be used for balls."
"Do you worry, as some of us do, that there is a coup that is on its way?" he asked his guest. "And that, you know, there is a panic. I mean, you could argue the Supreme Court ruling came because there is a panic. And you know, gas prices and a war are a good reason not to vote for Republicans. So they need to do something about that."
The White House ballroom has become a flashpoint for controversy, though the criticism has been difficult to understand given the nature of the project. The addition is designed to allow the president, and future presidents beyond Trump, to host official events at the White House itself rather than relying on off-site venues, a practical upgrade long overdue for major state functions. The need for expanded, secure space for high-profile gatherings has been underscored in the aftermath of an attempted assassination that took place at the White House Correspondents' Dinner just over a week ago.
Even so, the project is being fully funded through private donations, not taxpayer dollars, making the scale of the backlash even more striking.
Despite that, the left has turned it into a major political issue, with legal challenges briefly halting construction.
It remains unclear why a simple construction project has received so much ire and now conspiracy theories, especially when Democratic presidents would have most likely been lauded for the addition.
