India, Oct. 28 -- Amid President Donald Trump's ambitious $200 million plan to demolish the White House East Wing and install a ballroom in its place, a claim about the basketball court built at the White House by President Barack Obama has gone viral. Against Trump's mega project, some social media users are claiming that Obama spent $376 million of taxpayers' money to build the basketball court.

However, the claims are false, as, first of all, the basketball court built by Obama in 2009 was likely privately funded, and second, the exact amount that was spent on the basketball court has not been disclosed. However, the estimated costs were far below the whopping figure being touted in the viral posts. Building high-end basketball courts...