Beneath Trump’s ballroom, a ‘massive military complex’ under construction: All you need to know
Trump's comments came after US federal judge Richard Leon ordered him to suspend construction on a new ballroom, which required demolishing the East Wing.
United States President Donald Trump Sunday confirmed that the country’s military is building a “massive complex” under the 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, the New York Times reported.
Trump has recently been talking about the military complex amid legal scrutiny over its construction. Trump announced that the information has been revealed, because of a “stupid lawsuit.” He hailed the US military for “doing very well” in constructing the bunker. “So we’re ahead of schedule,” the president told reporters on Air Force One.
Trump’s comments came after US federal judge Richard Leon ordered the suspension of construction on a new ballroom, which required demolishing the East Wing, ABC News reported.
When the construction of the new $250 million ballroom began last year in October, the US president underlined its necessity, saying the East Room was “too small” for important events, NYT stated.
The bunker will have bomb shelters and medical facilities, which also includes a hospital, Trump told the reporters.
He said the ballroom would protect the underground facility from drones, bullets and similar military attacks. Trump also said that the windows were made using “high-grade bulletproof glass.”
“We have biodefence all over,” NYT quoted Trump as saying. He said the bunker will have bomb shelters, a hospital and major medical facilities, all covered by secure telecommunications and communications.
Work is underway to destroy the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, or PEOC, that was built during World War II to protect top government officials, including the President, during an emergency, the NYT report stated.
The centre served as a key secret location, where Vice-President Dick Cheney was hustled following the September 11 terrorist attacks. President George W Bush and his security teams, too, moved to the location later, according to the report.
Trump, too, was rushed to the PEOC after protests over the death of George Floyd in 2020.
Now, crews are digging in, ripping out the PEOC, to build the massive complex, which Trump claimed last week that “the military wanted it more than anybody”.
The US Secret Service had filed documents in the court, justifying the necessity of finishing the ballroom project, both in December and January, NYT reported.
“Any pause in construction, even temporarily, would leave the contractor’s obligation unfulfilled in this regard and consequently hamper the Secret Service’s ability to meet its statutory obligations and protective mission,” Matthew C Quinn, deputy director of the Secret Service, had written as per the report.
Quinn also offered to brief the judge about security upgrades in private, even as the Trump administration filed project documents under seal in the court. However, federal judge Leon rejected most of these arguments.
Leon wrote: “While I take seriously the government’s concerns regarding the safety and security of the White House grounds and the president himself, the existence of a ‘large hole’ beside the White House is, of course, a problem of the president’s own making!”
Joshua Fisher, a White House official, told the National Capital Planning Commission in January this year that he could not share all the administration’s plans for the project. “There are some things regarding this project that are, frankly, of top-secret nature,” he said.
Moreover, Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokesperson, Monday said she’s “not privy” to the military upgrades at the White House.
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United States President Donald Trump Sunday confirmed that the country’s military is building a “massive complex” under the 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, the New York Times reported.
Trump has recently been talking about the military complex amid legal scrutiny over its construction. Trump announced that the information has been revealed, because of a “stupid lawsuit.” He hailed the US military for “doing very well” in constructing the bunker. “So we’re ahead of schedule,” the president told reporters on Air Force One.
Trump’s comments came after US federal judge Richard Leon ordered the suspension of construction on a new ballroom, which required demolishing the East Wing, ABC News reported.
When the construction of the new $250 million ballroom began last year in October, the US president underlined its necessity, saying the East Room was “too small” for important events, NYT stated.
The bunker will have bomb shelters and medical facilities, which also includes a hospital, Trump told the reporters.
He said the ballroom would protect the underground facility from drones, bullets and similar military attacks. Trump also said that the windows were made using “high-grade bulletproof glass.”
“We have biodefence all over,” NYT quoted Trump as saying. He said the bunker will have bomb shelters, a hospital and major medical facilities, all covered by secure telecommunications and communications.
Work is underway to destroy the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, or PEOC, that was built during World War II to protect top government officials, including the President, during an emergency, the NYT report stated.
The centre served as a key secret location, where Vice-President Dick Cheney was hustled following the September 11 terrorist attacks. President George W Bush and his security teams, too, moved to the location later, according to the report.
Trump, too, was rushed to the PEOC after protests over the death of George Floyd in 2020.
Now, crews are digging in, ripping out the PEOC, to build the massive complex, which Trump claimed last week that “the military wanted it more than anybody”.
The US Secret Service had filed documents in the court, justifying the necessity of finishing the ballroom project, both in December and January, NYT reported.
“Any pause in construction, even temporarily, would leave the contractor’s obligation unfulfilled in this regard and consequently hamper the Secret Service’s ability to meet its statutory obligations and protective mission,” Matthew C Quinn, deputy director of the Secret Service, had written as per the report.
Quinn also offered to brief the judge about security upgrades in private, even as the Trump administration filed project documents under seal in the court. However, federal judge Leon rejected most of these arguments.
Leon wrote: “While I take seriously the government’s concerns regarding the safety and security of the White House grounds and the president himself, the existence of a ‘large hole’ beside the White House is, of course, a problem of the president’s own making!”
Joshua Fisher, a White House official, told the National Capital Planning Commission in January this year that he could not share all the administration’s plans for the project. “There are some things regarding this project that are, frankly, of top-secret nature,” he said.
Moreover, Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokesperson, Monday said she’s “not privy” to the military upgrades at the White House.
