Thai PBS Verify traced the false information back to a post on X (Twitter).
An X account shared photos of American soldiers and the White House ballroom, claiming that “America is in shutdown, but Trump continues to build a ballroom while U.S. soldiers remain unpaid.”
Thai PBS Verify found that one X account posted a photo of soldiers and the White House ballroom with the caption:
“The White House just announced that the construction of Trump’s $200 million golden ballroom will continue during the government shutdown while American soldiers go without pay.”
This can be translated into Thai as follows: “ทำเนียบขาวเพิ่งประกาศว่าการก่อสร้างห้องบอลรูมทองคำมูลค่า 200 ล้านดอลลาร์ของทรัมป์จะดำเนินต่อไปแม้รัฐบาลจะปิดทำการ ในขณะที่ทหารอเมริกันยังไม่ได้รับค่าตอบแทน”
This post gained 4.1 million views, 57,000 reactions, 7,700 comments, and was reposted over 18,000 times.
Upon further investigation, Thai PBS Verify found that the X account belonged to Brian Tyler Cohen, an American commentator and host — a YouTuber, podcaster, writer, and progressive political commentator. He hosts the show “No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen,” which analyzes major U.S. political news on his YouTube channel and podcast. Notably, he interviewed President Joe Biden in February 2022.
White House Ballroom Construction Continues Despite U.S. Government Shutdown
The U.S. outlet People reported that construction of the new White House ballroom would continue despite the partial U.S. government shutdown on October 1, 2025. The project was privately funded by President Donald Trump and private donors, so it was not affected by the federal budget freeze.
President Trump stated that if construction was delayed, he would personally oversee it. First Lady Melania Trump and her team temporarily relocated their offices during construction. The White House has not yet announced an official opening date but confirmed the ballroom would be completed before the end of Trump’s presidential term.
Picture of the X account hosted by Brian Tyler Cohen, an American commentator, podcaster, writer, and progressive political commentator.
White House Ballroom Construction Continues Despite U.S. Government Shutdown
The U.S. People website reported that the construction of the new White House ballroom would continue despite the partial U.S. government shutdown on October 1, 2025. The project was privately funded by President Donald Trump and private donors, so it was not affected by the federal budget freeze. President Trump stated that if construction was delayed, he would personally oversee it. First Lady Melania Trump and her team temporarily relocated their offices during construction. The White House has not yet announced an official opening date but confirmed the ballroom would be completed before the end of Trump’s presidential term.
Picture from the U.S. People website reported that the construction of the new White House ballroom would continue despite the partial U.S. government shutdown since the project was funded by President Donald Trump and private donors.
The White House announced plans to build a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom accommodating 650 guests for banquets and diplomatic events. The $200 million project, initiated by President Trump, was funded entirely by private donations, not government funds. It was designed by McCrery Architects and constructed by Clark Construction, scheduled to begin in September 2025 and be completed before Trump’s term ends.
The new ballroom will be located on the East Wing, replacing a section dating back to 1902, while preserving the White House’s classic and luxurious architectural style.
Picture from the White House’s website showed the White House announced plans to build a new ballroom
Trump Ordered Defense Department to Pay Soldiers Despite Shutdown
Regarding claims that Trump failed to pay soldiers during the U.S. government shutdown, Thai PBS Verify found reports that President Trump ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure soldiers received their salaries on schedule, despite the federal shutdown. He stated he would not allow Democrats to “hold the military hostage” over the budget crisis. (Source: BBC, October 12, 2025)
Picture from BBC website on October 12, 2025, reported that Trump ordered Defense Department to pay soldiers despite shutdown.
Disinformation Is Nothing New—Only the Methods Change with Time
Asst. Prof. Dr. Prapee Apichatsakol, from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Srinakharinwirot University, stated that political attacks and disinformation are not new; only the methods have evolved with time. During the Biden era, for example, criticism came through mainstream media such as newspapers. As for the term “attack” in this context refers to criticism or scrutiny from the “opposition,” which is considered a normal part of politics.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Prapee Apichatsakol, from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Law Program, Srinakharinwirot University
Asst. Prof. Dr. Prapee explained that what differs now is “the method” — modern media and communication tools make news spread faster and wider. Political opposition has always had the duty to scrutinize the government, as Democrats do now, just as Trump was scrutinized in the past.
When the U.S. government approved aid for Ukraine under President Biden, the decision also went through Congress, yet it faced public criticism — why the government spend a lot of budgets to help foreign countries despite having inflation problem, like any countries questioning major budget allocations upon big projects.
He compared it to Thailand under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha: during the COVID-19 economic crisis, there was a rumor about a “project to send Thais to the moon,” which drew similar criticism that the government should focus on fixing domestic issues first.
In Trump’s case, the core problem during the shutdown was a “lack of liquidity in the budget,” but the government still had to support the military, as leaving soldiers unpaid while on duty was unacceptable. As president, Trump tried to manage the budget, possibly reallocating funds from other areas.
Dr. Prapee added that journalists should focus on reporting facts — who, what, where, when, and how — but many today include personal opinions or analyses in their stories. Readers must distinguish facts from opinions and be aware of potential bias in reporting.
He emphasized that fact-checking is crucial. Both journalists and news consumers should always ask, “What are the facts?” and verify them from credible sources — ideally more than one — because casual readers may easily believe false information when news presents only one side. Even official reports, such as those from foreign ministries, may not provide the full picture.
What is the Truth?
Thai PBS Verify concluded that the viral post was false information created to attack Trump. The White House ballroom project was funded by private donations, not government money. Regarding the shutdown and soldiers’ pay, Trump ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure regular payment of salaries despite the shutdown.
