President Trump said late Sunday that the U.S. military is constructing a “massive complex” beneath the White House as part of ongoing renovations tied to a controversial new ballroom project on the East Wing.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump revealed new details about the underground development, which he suggested had only recently become public due to legal challenges.
“Now, the military is building a big complex under the ballroom, which has come out recently because of a stupid lawsuit that was filed,” Trump said. “But the military is building a massive complex under the ballroom, and that’s under construction, and we’re doing very well.”
The president described the above-ground ballroom as a highly fortified structure, emphasizing modern security features.
“We have all bullet-proof glass, we have drone-proof roofs, ceilings,” Trump said while displaying newly produced renderings of the project. “Unfortunately, we’re living in an age when that’s a good thing.”
Trump had previously indicated that elements of the project were intended to remain undisclosed. During a Cabinet meeting last week, he acknowledged a national security component tied to the construction.
“It was supposed to be secret, but it became unsecret because of people that are really unpatriotic saying things,” he said. “Now it’s no secret, the military wanted it more than anybody.”
The ballroom project—estimated at roughly $400 million—is being promoted by Trump as a long-overdue upgrade to the White House’s event capacity. He argued that existing rooms are too small to host major foreign dignitaries and large-scale gatherings.
“For 150 years, they’ve wanted to build a ballroom at the White House. Other presidents have wanted it,” Trump said. “When we have dignitaries coming like President Xi of China or anybody else, we have very small rooms. They’re not big enough to handle the kind of capacity that you need.”
He added that the new structure is designed to visually match the existing White House and could even accommodate presidential inaugurations.
“This is the same height as the White House. It’s an incredible fitting,” he said. “I think it will be the finest ballroom of its kind anywhere in the world.”
According to Trump, the ballroom is being funded entirely through private donations and personal contributions, with no taxpayer dollars involved.
“All of this money, all of the money paid is paid by myself and donors, it’s all donors,” he said. “There’s not one dime of government money going into the ballroom.”
However, the project has drawn scrutiny from preservation groups and architects. A recent report raised concerns about design choices, including claims about “faux windows,” which Trump forcefully denied.
“We have no fake windows,” he said. “The glass is extremely thick. It’s high-grade, bulletproof glass. So, all of the windows are bulletproof.”
The construction has also sparked a legal battle. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed a lawsuit arguing that the administration bypassed required approvals from Congress and federal planning agencies. A federal judge is currently considering whether to halt construction.
Despite the controversy, Trump insisted the project is progressing smoothly.
“We’re ahead of schedule and under budget,” he said.
He also framed the ballroom as secondary to the underground military infrastructure being built beneath it.
“The ballroom essentially becomes a shed for what’s being built under the military, including from drones and including from any other thing,” Trump said.
The plans are expected to face a key test later this week, when the National Capital Planning Commission is set to review the proposal for final approval.
Thought that we some complex already under WH
Updating?
Or brand new