Washington Edition

Democrats Wield Trump’s Ballroom Against GOP

GOP lawmakers are grappling with a potentially tough vote on Trump’s ballroom

President Donald Trump looks out at the White House Ballroom construction while arriving for a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.Photographer: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg

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By Jonathan Tamari (BGOV)

May 12, 2026 at 11:20 AM UTC

I’m Jonathan Tamari, senior Washington reporter for Bloomberg Government, and each weekday I’ll be coming to you with inside-the-room reporting and insights that reveal what’s really happening in Washington—and how it impacts you. Email me with feedback and comments here. If this newsletter was forwarded to you sign up here.

Today: Ballroom politics, the little things that make data centers go, and understanding the new House landscape.