Reports: Trump Told Ballroom Architect 'I Am the Code'

According to a Washington Post investigation echoed by tabloids, President Trump rejected fire-safety warnings on his White House ballroom, reportedly saying 'I am the code.'

According to Reason magazine, citing The Washington Post, the first architect on the ballroom, James McCrery II, clashed with President Trump over design features the architect believed violated building safety codes, and withdrew from the project in October 2025 after repeatedly warning that the preliminary design did not provide adequate emergency exit routes or fire-containment measures. The Post reported that McCrery told the White House the design did not meet fire-safety codes requiring most guests to exit quickly through the main entrance, and that alternative exits were insufficient, with little to stop a kitchen fire spreading into the event space above. Trump reportedly countered that no building codes apply to White House construction and stated, "I am the code."

The remark stands out because federal law itself does not exempt federal buildings from all code regimes: Reason notes that while the Supremacy Clause and sovereign immunity broadly exempt the federal government from state and local regulations, 40 USC 3312 requires construction of or alterations to federal buildings to comply with "one of the nationally recognized model building codes." Reason argues that Trump's interest in codes seemingly goes no further than how they affect him personally, given that his administration has criticized burdensome regulations elsewhere. We Got This Covered frames the stakes bluntly, saying the architect resigned after warning the project could become a "$600 million death trap."

Mandatory reports that Trump's handwritten Sharpie notes on the drawings reveal his priorities, scrawling "James. And you think this is big enough" and, on a colonnade image, "James – great look – but Corinthian columns." Mandatory also says one early plan squeezed just seven women's bathroom stalls into a venue built for 650-plus guests. We Got This Covered reports internal White House meeting notes from September 2025 read "Life safety — big concern," and a November note said "Life safety — needs POTUS buy in." According to We Got This Covered, The Post said it remains unclear whether anyone ever completed a code review.

RadarOnline reports that a White House spokesperson called the premise linking McCrery's departure to code issues "factually false and totally inaccurate," adding that "life safety issues have been addressed and resolved continuously as the design has evolved" and that the decision was made to move in another direction for the second phase. McCrery stayed vague about his reasons, telling The Post he was "truly grateful" for the honor and that "having completed the earliest designs, I stepped aside, and a new firm was engaged." We Got This Covered reports Shalom Baranes Associates took over the design, with its founding principal saying the ballroom "has been designed to conform to applicable national building code standards."

Reason reports the project is already under litigation, with federal law reserving approval of major structural White House changes to Congress; Judge Richard Leon issued an injunction halting construction, later upheld by the D.C. Circuit, before the Supreme Court allowed construction to continue by a 5–4 vote, with Chief Justice John Roberts criticizing the decision to rubber-stamp a "likely unlawful" project. We Got This Covered says the estimated $600 million ballroom is Trump's most expensive project reshaping monumental Washington, with taxpayers expected to cover about half the cost, and polling shows the project remains deeply unpopular. RadarOnline notes the announced cost climbed from roughly $200 million to $400 million, then $600 million.

According to Mandatory, the Supreme Court let construction continue in August while legal challenges proceed, meaning the ballroom will keep rising even as the courts weigh whether major White House alterations require congressional approval. Reason, citing the Post, notes the work has been routed through the White House Executive Residence — an office built for furniture purchases and routine repairs, per Mandatory — rather than the General Services Administration or National Park Service, an unusual arrangement the Post says has allowed the president to dictate the project's terms. Reason's Jacob Sullum, quoted by the outlet, dubbed the ballroom "a monument to [Trump's] disregard for the rule of law and the separation of powers."