August 13, 2026 - Gov Brief Today

What Happened Today – August 12, 2026

August 14, 2026August 13, 2026 by George Bounacos

Aerial view of White House ballroom construction on the demolished East Wing site and a new helipad under construction on the South Lawn, July 2026

Trump's ballroom construction rose over the demolished East Wing in July as a new helipad tore up the South Lawn, work now totaling at least $927 million. (Photo: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0)

Trump has been lying about who pays for his White House makeover since before he broke ground. He said dozens of times that private donations would fund the construction. The Washington Post found his administration stuffing more than $870 million into the White House upkeep budget, including one unidentified $70 million deposit, and we are … Read more