MSNBC: Did Trump’s Ballroom Cost GOP Wins In Deep Blue City, Blue States?

A panel of regular MSNBC hosts — including Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow — spent some time during their election night recap questioning whether or not the ballroom President Donald Trump is building at the White House had been part of the reason Republicans fared so poorly in several high stakes elections.

The major elections in play were the New York City mayoral election, the New Jersey gubernatorial election, and several key elections in Virginia — and all of them were won handily by the Democrats (or the Democratic socialist, in the case of New York City) in those races. And according to O’Donnell, he’d heard from at least one voter who cited “the demolition” being done in the White House’s East Wing — to prepare for Trump’s ballroom plans — as his motivation for getting out to the polls.

WATCH:

BRAINWORMS: MSNBC, on two occasions, gave credence to the idea of ballroom construction being a factor in tonight’s election results pic.twitter.com/WyYnV43qnN

— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) November 5, 2025

“Rachel, I was struck by something Vaughn Hilliard reported from a voter in New Jersey, saying that this voter was out there today voting because of, quote, this is what Vaughn said, the phrase he used, ‘the White House demolition,'” Lawrence said. “Donald Trump tearing down the East Wing of the White House — that sent a voter to the polls in New Jersey. Surely it sent thousands of voters to polls all around the country.”

“And the mind reels at how many ways, if you’re a Republican candidate, Donald Trump can ruin your campaign any day of your campaign,” he added, clearly amused by his own assessment, and several others on the panel laughed as he continued. “Let’s just assume Donald Trump was determined to do this to the White House. No one in the Republican Party could say to him, ‘Could you wait until November 5th? Could you just — November 5th. Don’t do anything before then.'”