Donald Trump thought he could bypass Congress and make endless permanent renovations to the White House, and then he learned the limits of his executive power.

The president has been campaigning to gain the public’s approval for the estimated $300 million to $400 million ballroom, which required the demolition of the East Wing last October.

Donald Trump struggled through his latest speech while reading notes that appear to be in his own handwriting. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

‘Read it Right Now’: Donald Trump’s Bizarre Reply When Asked to Read a Letter Aloud Leaves Viewers In Stitches

He sought to push the project through by installing allies on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts panel and by accepting funds from private donors, promising that the construction would not be covered by the government.

Still, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon reminded the former reality star that he is not an exception to the rules and that headway on his latest vanity project will be halted until “Congress authorizes its completion.”

Trump, who previously claimed he prefers improvising speeches over following prepared remarks, struggled to counter the ruling, even with handwritten notes in front of him.

After shuffling through papers on his desk in the Oval Office, he said, “I wrote part of his opinion. … He’s so wrong. … We didn’t ask for any tax money.”

The former real estate developer continued, “He also said, this is positive for us, I’m allowed, meaning we, to continue building as necessary to.” He stumbled through the next line, then paused, glancing down and asking for help — “Let’s see — what is that?” His expression shifted into a brief, puzzled look, as if he was working it out in real time before he finally moved on: “To cover the safety and security of the White House and its grounds.”

No one hung onto Trump’s remarks, but many people zeroed in on his struggle and on the chicken scratch written in black marker on his notes.

An X user said, “And he couldn’t even read them.”Social media users had a field day trying to determine exactly what was written on the page for Trump to say: “Blah blah waaaaah screech scream fake news waaaaaaaah,” suggested one person. “Third line: “Brag about deal with Sharpie again,” wrote another individual. An IG Thread user asked, “Alright who’s going to put in the time to flip it & reverse it?” Responses revealed the scribbles were all about the ballroom.

A more inquisitive person asked Elon Musk’s AI Grok app to decipher the message on the paper, alleging read, “From the close-up image, the handwritten notes on the paper read (as best as legible): ‘AND WE NEED CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL. WE’RE. NEEDY. HANDS OFF. YOU SAID I AM ALLOWED TO CONTINUE BUILDING AT NEED TO ENSURE THE SAFETY + SECURITY OF THE WHITE HOUSE AND ITS GROUNDS, INCLUDING THE BALLROOM, CONSTRUCTION, AND PROVIDE FOR THE FINAL SAFETY OF THE PRESIDENT AND HIS STAFF” Lower sections have crossed-out or fainter text with names like ‘Donald Trump,’ ‘Bob DeSantis,’ and partial words on safety/staff. Looks like talking points on White House building/safety approvals.

The irony is he does wear glasses — he’s been caught with them on in private, even riding in the presidential motorcade — but never when the cameras are rolling. So instead of addressing it and forcing him to wear them, the White House builds around it, tweaking notes and letting him power through, even when he starts to struggle.

Many piled on with more jokes, claiming that Trump was “too vain to wear reading glasses so they [wrote] it really big and with a Sharpie.” Another predicted, “The Resolute Desk must be totally black now from all the Sharpie bleed-through.”

The Sharpie reference stems from a tale Trump told in a previous Oval Office meeting, in which the president veered off script to discuss pens and markers. He claimed that he was previously using $1,000 ballpoint pens that were often being handed out to White House visitors, so he swapped them for Sharpie markers.

Trump continued by claiming he had a conversation with a Sharpie representative who agreed to make the marker’s signature black and gray design “nicer,” even agreeing to make the outer casing all black with gold details. “Almost real gold, not bad,” Trump told the press.

But saving money by using Sharpie markers and the oversized ballroom are just two of the ways Trump wants to be remembered. His son Eric Trump posted the first renderings of his presidential library, which is intended to be constructed in Miami, Florida. The catch is that he wants it to be a hotel and that it apparently won’t house any books.

‘What Is That?’: Trump Tries to Read in Front of the World — The White House Just Lets Him Stumble and Beg for Help, Then Fans Zoom In and It Spirals