A White House event took an unexpected turn after President Donald Trump joked about holding onto one of Wall Street‘s most recognizable symbols. Trump joked he was keeping Wall Street’s ceremonial opening bell. The president repeated the remark more than once during Monday’s events.
Donald Trump repeatedly joked that he would not return the ceremonial object
Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to ring the opening bell for both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq from the Oval Office. The ceremony marked the first trading day for the administration’s Trump Accounts program, which offers eligible American children a $1,000 investment. After ringing the bell alongside a group of children, he smiled and said, “I’m not giving it back (via The Daily Beast).”
The president later repeated the joke at a Rose Garden lunch attended by guests. Looking toward the ceremonial bell, he called it “so beautiful” and joked that anyone wanting it back would have to “fight like hell” to reclaim it. Whether Trump was speaking entirely in jest remained unclear, but the remark drew attention because it echoed similar comments he had made before.
This isn’t the first time POTUS has joked about hanging on to a high-profile item. During a visit to Wisconsin last month, Olympic speed skating star Jordan Stolz placed one of his gold medals around Trump‘s neck. The president laughed that he wasn’t giving it back, then eventually returned it. He made a similar joke the previous year when FIFA President Gianni Infantino brought the World Cup trophy to the Oval Office, once again pretending he might keep it.
Donald Trump’s remarks about the bell came during a broader discussion about changes planned for the White House. He spent part of lunch talking about a new ballroom, a project initially estimated at around $200 million.
However, documents cited by The Washington Post reportedly put the latest price closer to $600 million, with about $293 million expected to come from private funding. Trump also revealed that the development will include an underground military facility, saying it had once been considered “top secret” but was now widely known because of lawsuits and increased public attention.
