How the New White House Ballroom Would Change the President’s Plans in the Event of a National Emergency

The Trump administration revealed recently in a court filing that the advanced security features of in the bunker being built under the new White House ballroom will protect against modern threats.

Last summer, President Donald Trump announced his plans to build a new ballroom where the East Wing was. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit group, sued to halt its construction.

A federal judge ruled late last month that Trump lacked the authority to go forward with the $400 million project without congressional approval, though construction is being funded privately. The judge allowed limited construction of the 90,000 square foot facility, which could accommodate up to 1,000 guests, to go forward while the Department of Justice appealed the ruling.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that in the DOJ’s court of appeals filing, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll “mapped out in detail how an underground bomb