Altria joins Trump donors behind $300M White House rebuild

Zoom in: The list also includes Booz Allen Hamilton, which is headquartered in McLean, and tech powerhouses like Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta.

• The White House didn't specify donation amounts, and an Altria spokesperson didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
• Both Virginia companies attended a fundraising dinner Trump hosted earlier this month, where POTUS hinted some donors pledged $25 million for the project, per the New York Times.

Catch up quick: The demolition of the East Wing to make way for the ballroom has drawn outrage from Democrats.

• It has also sparked ethics concerns about whether wealthy donors are buying access to the president, reports Axios' Avery Lotz.

The other side: Republicans have praised the project, noting the White House has undergone renovations for years.

The intrigue: Altria's check for Trump's ballroom wasn't its only boost to the president this year.

• Campaign finance records show Altria gave $1 million to his super PAC in May, just before Congress debated whether to keep or eliminate a tax break that benefits the company's competitors, per the RTD.
• Congress ultimately left the credit intact.

Go deeper:

• Here's how the White House has changed over the decades
• Washington furious over Trump's East Wing demo
• Snapshots of life at the White House East Wing
• "RIP East Wing" merch has hit Etsy<br/>