Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it known she is no fan of President Donald Trump’s project to construct a ballroom at the White House in an appeal to voters that 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is their ‘house.’

‘It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it,’ Clinton wrote on X on Tuesday morning. 

The social media post included a screenshot of The Washington Post’s report, ‘White House begins demolishing East Wing Facade to build Trump’s ballroom,’ accompanied by a photo of a demolition crew. 

‘President Trump is working 24/7 to Make America Great Again, including his historic beautification of the White House, at no taxpayer expense. These long-needed upgrades will benefit generations of future presidents and American visitors to the People’s House,’ White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox Digital when asked about Clinton’s post and other Democrats criticizing the ballroom construction. 

Trump announced on Monday that construction had begun on the ballroom, following months of the president floating the planned project to modernize the White House. The project does not cost taxpayers and is privately funded, the White House reported. 

‘I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,’ Trump said on Truth Social. ‘Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!

‘For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!’ he continued. ‘The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly. This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!’

The privately-funded project will cost an estimated $200 million, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the media in July. The 90,000-square-foot ballroom will accommodate approximately 650 seated guests, according to the White House. 

‘The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance,’ Leavitt said back in July, adding the new ballroom will be ‘a much needed and exquisite addition.’

Other Democrats have also slammed the construction project, including New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim calling it ‘disgusting.’

‘I wanted to share this photo of my family standing by a historic part of the White House that was just torn down today by Trump. We didn’t need a billionaire-funded ballroom to celebrate America. Disgusting what Trump is doing,’ Kim posted to X on Monday. 

‘Oh you’re trying to say the cost of living is skyrocketing? Donald Trump can’t hear you over the sound of bulldozers demolishing a wing of the White House to build a new grand ballroom,’ Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren posted to X on Monday. 

‘Republican math. Can afford: Trump ballroom, $40 Billion Argentina bailout, massive tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires Can’t afford: health care for Americans, SNAP for struggling Americans, tax relief for middle class families,’ Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta posted to X. 

The ballroom construction follows Trump installing two massive 88-foot-tall American flags on either side of the White House this summer in a patriotic endeavor that did not cost U.S. taxpayers a cent, as well as an overhaul to the White House Rose Garden. 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this article. 

I went to England on a history vacation. It turned into an archaeological expedition, uncovering the bones of a once-great civilization. 

All the tourist sites are still there. You can still see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, recall the ‘V’ for victory in the Churchill War Rooms or be inspired to pray at Westminster Abbey. But those are mere historical artifacts, like the pyramids of Egypt or the Acropolis in Greece. The ideals and most of the people who believe in them are long gone.

I was in London less than 24 hours before a terror attack killed two people in a Manchester synagogue. Police also killed the terrorist, a Syrian-born, 35-year-old immigrant named Jihad Al-Shamie, who they said had pledged himself to ISIS. Two innocent Jewish people are dead and a walking, talking metaphor was the cause. Jewish citizens admitted the assault was shocking but not surprising, given the rise of antisemitism in England. 

Two days later, thousands of ‘pro-Palestinians’ held a protest around Trafalgar Square. I watched police arrest a few radicals, while the crowd chanted, ‘Free Palestine.’ British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged everyone not to protest on the Oct. 7th anniversary of the attack on Israel because he said it was ‘un-British.’ Unfortunately, it’s all too British these days. Britain has imported millions of people who hold no allegiance to its nation or its beliefs. They brought with them both a hatred of Jewish people and Western civilization. 

On Oct. 11, hundreds of thousands of ‘pro-Palestine’ protesters marched in London, shutting down streets and businesses. Even the ceasefire in Gaza didn’t satisfy them. It’s Starmer’s fault. He recognized a Palestinian state, rewarding Hamas for its barbaric assault on Israel and emboldening the protesters. 

Now, the government has to try to look good. It told universities they must ‘take stronger action to protect Jewish students,’ according to Reuters. But, a new YouGov poll says one out of five Britons holds antisemitic views. The message to Jews in England seems disturbingly similar to what it was in 1930s Germany: get out while you still can.

That is only one aspect of the failed British state. Some British people understand they had their history and culture stolen from them, but fear their government enough that they are unwilling or unable to do anything about it. One resident I met was afraid to even wear the British flag for fear of arrest. The same individual referred to England as a ‘tinder box’ that could turn into a civil war.

Those feelings aren’t surprising. A Labour Party member of the British Parliament, Jeevun Sandler, came out on Oct. 12, urging England to take down its flag from lamp posts because it was seen as ‘unwelcoming’ to immigrants. A local politician was investigated by police after she said she was ‘born and bred here.’ And a recent study from the University of Leicester’s Centre for Hate Studies complains that rural England is ‘overwhelmingly White’ and needs ‘inclusion.’ 

It’s not just politics. Canterbury Cathedral, a truly majestic monument to Christianity and Western civilization, was turned into a site for a graffiti-like art demonstration of England’s decline and fall. Christianity Today explains it as an, ‘art exhibit titled ‘Hear Us,’ which features temporary graffiti stickers that were slapped on Canterbury’s stone pillars and aim to highlight minorities while posing challenging questions to God.’ Artist Alex Vellis self describes as ‘an agender goblin-thing.’ Just the person you’d pick to decorate one of the world’s most famous religious sites.

What Vellis did is not art. It’s desecration. Thank God, I saw the cathedral just before this betrayal.

Major institutions embraced the guilt complex that causes all this. It is common for tour guides, museum employees and docents to fill their talks with leftist talking points about climate change and immigration. Many historic sites I visited were quick to demonize British history. Explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake, who heroically defended England against the Spanish armada, is slammed as an enslaver at the very maritime museum he helped inspire.

British media is worse. The BBC is almost laughably left wing. It layered discussions of the Manchester terror attack with the typical refrain, ‘but Israel.’ Other outlets weren’t as bad, but that’s not saying much. Even commercials show the built-in biases. I saw at least 13 Unicef UK Ads on my television. Nine were about providing aid to Gaza, one more was for Yemen. There were no ads about helping Christians being genocided In Africa. Or even aiding Muslims in China or Myanmar, where they are also being persecuted. Of course, they aren’t fighting Israel in those locations.

Starmer’s many failures make him wildly unpopular and the Reform Party is polling high, looking like it could sweep future elections. The British response is to crack down even more. Rather than defend its own history and culture, the government wars against them. Already, 12,000 people are arrested each year for what they say online. 

British politician and journalist Daniel Hannan summarized these problems with the question, ‘Why are so many British leaders anti-British?’

Those problems are already here in America, they simply haven’t taken root as strongly yet. England is perhaps 10 or 20 years ahead of us. It can serve as a warning or a peek at our inevitable decline. Our campuses are filled with indoctrinated young people, ignorant of history and eager to carry whatever banner will tear down America and the West. It doesn’t matter if it’s the flag of communism or Hamas.

There are some in England who haven’t given up. But the fear is that it is too late. And looking around England, it’s hard to feel otherwise. For America, it’s not too late… yet.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, tore into the Democratic Party during House GOP leaders’ press conference on Day 20 of the government shutdown after anti-Trump protests swept the country over the weekend.

He blasted the left’s embrace of the ‘No Kings’ rallies, where millions of people across the U.S. took to city streets to protest President Donald Trump.

‘This is the dying breaths of a bankrupt party, in my humble opinion, all too happy to shut down the government,’ Roy said during the press conference Monday.

He and House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., joined House GOP leaders’ daily shutdown press conference in a show of unity across the Republican conference.

‘No one disputes one obvious fact: It is Democrats who have chosen not to fund government. We can at least establish that truth, right? It is, in fact, the truth. And the question is, why?’ Roy said.

‘And you saw it on Saturday — it was basically for a political rally, a rally for cover for [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.], who’s in his own political battle in New York,’ he added in reference to Republican accusations that left-wing leaders are kowtowing to Democrats’ progressive base.

He continued, ‘That’s the truth. And the irony of this is, this ‘No Kings’ rally. What are we actually talking about? I mean, it wasn’t President Trump, but Democrats who tried to make us take a shot or lose our job. It wasn’t President Trump, but Democrats who were burning our cities to the ground in 2020 and attacking police officers.’

Republican leaders spent last week hammering Democrats who planned to participate in Saturday’s ‘No Kings’ rallies, including Schumer.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., during his portion of the press conference, made a plea to Schumer to accept the GOP’s federal funding bill now that the protests were over.

‘Now that Democrats have had their protest and publicity stunts, I just pray that they come to their senses and end this shutdown and reopen the government this week. Republicans are waiting. The American people are waiting,’ Johnson said.

The House passed a bill to keep the federal government funded at current levels through Nov. 21 — called a continuing resolution (CR) — mostly along party lines last month.

It’s since failed 10 times in the Senate, with a majority of Democrats rejecting any spending deal that does not also include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies that will expire at the end of this year without congressional action.

The ongoing government shutdown is now the third-longest in history.

House Republicans’ campaign arm is announcing it brought in nearly $24 million in the months of July through September this year.

More than half of that — roughly $13.95 million — came in September, as Republicans were readying for a political messaging war over federal funding.

That fight is still ongoing now, more than halfway through October. The government has been shut down for 20 days as Republicans and Democrats are still in disagreement over federal spending.

The National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) $13.95 million haul represents its best September in a non-election year and a 50% increase from the previous comparable September in 2023.

The NRCC is ending the third quarter with nearly $46 million cash on hand and nearly $93 million raised in 2025 alone.

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, NRCC Chair Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., pointed out that House Republicans already voted to keep the federal government funded last month and touted the GOP base propelling his group ahead of the 2026 elections.

‘House Republicans are firing on all cylinders. Our majority funded the federal government, and we’re delivering for working families and building unstoppable momentum heading into 2026,’ Hudson said.

‘With President Trump leading the charge and voters rallying behind our conservative agenda, we’re raising record-breaking resources to hold the House and grow our majority,’ he said.

Republicans are battling to keep the House in next year’s midterm elections, which have historically been unfavorable to the party in power. The GOP has held the House majority since 2023.

But GOP leaders have expressed confidence in their agenda and in the White House, while arguing the Democratic Party is facing a lack of cohesion and disapproval of its policies by American voters.

The NRCC outpaced its counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in the previous quarter of 2025, raising $32.3 million compared to the DCCC’s $29.1 million.

The DCCC ended the year with more cash on hand, however, with $39.7 million compared to the NRCC’s $37.6 million.

Both groups and their allies have spent much of October battling over the government shutdown in the court of public opinion.

Republicans are accusing Democrats of holding the federal government hostage by refusing to vote for their funding bill unless partisan healthcare demands are met.

Democrats, meanwhile, have argued that Republicans are risking the healthcare costs of millions of Americans by not including an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire this year without congressional action.

The House passed a seven-week federal funding bill largely along party lines on Sept. 19. It has been stalled in the Senate, however, where at least several Democrats are needed to hit the chamber’s 60-vote threshold to break the filibuster.

Government shutdowns can be pretty boring.

Until a shutdown impacts you.

There’s a missed paycheck. Flight delays. You can’t visit the Smithsonian. Questions about food and drug safety.

You get the idea.

But until you reach that tipping point, most Americans are ho-hum about government shutdowns and interpret the infighting between Democrats and Republicans as de rigueur on Capitol Hill.

So they don’t pay much mind to them.

However, Democrats engineered a scheme in advance of this fall’s government shutdown. They would transmogrify the shutdown into something Americans care about: healthcare.

Democrats know that healthcare consistently polls well with voters. Democrats have known for months that many people who receive their healthcare coverage via ‘Obamacare exchanges’ would absorb a marked price spike with their premiums early next year. Moreover, notices informing people about the impending price increase would start to hit mailboxes in mid-October.

So Democrats have pleaded with Republicans to subsidize Obamacare to defray looming price increases. Obamacare subsidies and the government shutdown aren’t directly connected. But Democrats believed they could link the two. And then, after people snored off to sleep about the government shutdown on Oct. 1, they were rudely awakened by a notice in the mail that their healthcare premiums were about to jump.

Say what you will about the tactics, but it was a shrewd strategy by Democrats to seize on an issue important to their base. Moreover, it gave the party the opportunity to show voters that it’s ‘fighting’ against President Donald Trump. That’s something which didn’t happen in the March funding round. In fact, the Democrats’ lack of fighting is what set a match to an internecine fight among Democrats about how to combat the president. The public and the government are absorbing the flames of that internal conflagration now, but Democrats may have found a way to salve those wounds.

‘Fighting for healthcare is our defining issue,’ said House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., in an exclusive sit-down interview with Fox News. ‘Shutdowns are terrible and there will be families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage times we have.’

That’s why healthcare is the linchpin to the shutdown.

But enter Republicans. They believe Democrats own the healthcare crisis. They passed Obamacare in the first place. It was a Democratic Congress under President Joe Biden that boosted the subsidy to defray the cost of Obamacare in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the touchstone of the Democrats’ legislative agenda.

‘It is the Democrats who created that subsidy who put the expiration date on it. They did it all on their own,’ said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Some Republicans have even reverted to their 2010 mantra to ‘repeal and replace’ Obamacare.

That said, Johnson tried to beat back those calls from conservatives.

‘There’s no way to repeal and replace it because it’s too deeply ingrained right now. We have to improve it,’ said Johnson.

Such a declaration would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Here we have a Republican Speaker of the House arguing that Congress must sustain — even assist — Obamacare.

‘Obamacare has been a failure,’ said Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., on Fox News. ‘We’ve been enduring this now for almost 15 years.’

Stutzman benefited from the GOP’s plan to ditch Obamacare in 2010. It was an historic, 63-seat midterm election pickup for Republicans. Voters sent Stutzman to Washington for the first time in that midterm.

The Indiana Republican added that he’s ‘not sure that subsidies are the answer in the long run.’

‘Every couple of years they need more and more subsidies to be able to prop [Obamacare] up because it’s not affordable,’ said Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., on Fox Business Network.

Democrats are demanding Obamacare subsidies before they agree to a Republican plan to fund the government.

‘It is an inflection point in this budget process where we have tried to get the Republicans to meet with us and prioritize the American people,’ said Clark.

But Democrats believe the need to boost Obamacare reveals flaws in the law.

‘Isn’t that an indictment that there’s a problem with [Obamacare]?’ I asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. ‘The fact that it needs to be propped up in some form?’

‘No,’ replied Jeffries. ‘The overwhelming majority of the American people, including in the Republican-run states, support an extension of the [Obamacare] tax credits.’

Some Republicans reject extending the subsidies.

‘I’m not going to vote to extend these subsidies.They’re through the roof expensive,’ said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

But other conservatives insist that Obamacare needs rescuing.

‘If you’re on [Obamacare] your premium is going to literally double. If you have your own private health insurance policy, your premium is going to go up and people already can’t afford their premiums,’ said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. ‘People back at home are going, ‘Wait a minute, my premium is going to skyrocket.’’

Greene is one of the most outspoken members of her party when it comes to concerns about the premium increases. In fact, she believes that Republicans allowed ‘Democrats to hold the moral high ground on it, because they’re talking about it.’

Greene and Johnson spoke about her concerns several days ago.

But Obamacare vexed the GOP for years.

Former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and others led an effort to repeal and replace Obamacare. House Republicans voted dozens of times to wipe out Obamacare in 2011 and 2012. They couldn’t push such a package through the Senate, but it made for a powerful GOP talking point. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., got a little closer. Republicans had the Senate in 2016. So the House and Senate both voted for the first time to repeal and replace Obamacare, but President Barack Obama vetoed it.

Republicans finally had the trifecta of the House, Senate and White House in 2017 after Trump won the election. The House initially stumbled, having to yank the repeal and replace package off the floor in the spring of 2017. But the House regrouped and finally engineered a strategy that passed. But the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., single-handedly tanked the bill when he famously voted against the package in a dramatic roll call vote in the summer of 2017.

‘I still have PTSD from the experience,’ said Johnson of the GOP efforts.

Trump even offered a familiar, if well-traveled promise, during last year’s campaign.

‘I have concepts of a plan,’ the president said at the ABC presidential debate last fall. ‘You’ll be hearing about it in the not too distant future.’

So while a resolution to the government shutdown remains elusive, so do the positions about one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in the past 50 years.

Republicans have tried to flip the script on the Democrats — now highlighting the problems with Obamacare. The GOP hopes that rekindles a familiar antipathy the right has for Obamacare and helps them during the shutdown.

‘Obamacare is a failed product in the first place. And they used that as an excuse in order to add additional federal dollars,’ said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.

The sides just don’t see eye-to-eye.

‘When [Obamacare] was passed, healthcare was a lot less costly than it is now, and insurance rates were a lot lower. So these healthcare tax credits are necessary for healthcare inflation to make it affordable for people,’ said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

Obamacare and the shutdown are now inextricably linked. And if dealing with that wasn’t complicated enough, the infusion of Obamacare into the debate makes the legislative morass seemingly intractable.