Trump Expands White House Ballroom to $400 Million as Security Additions Trigger Funding Questions
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 4
Trump Expands White House Ballroom to $400 Million as Security Additions Trigger Funding Questions
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 4
Summary
$400 million is now Trump's latest price tag for the White House ballroom, up from $200 million, with plans expanded to include bomb shelters, an underground hospital, military facilities and a rooftop drone port.
Three-storey-deep excavations reflect the project's shift from an event venue for 650 guests to a security-focused complex after April's assassination attempt, which Trump says drove demands for bulletproof, drone-proof and missile-proof features.
$220 million tied specifically to the ballroom appeared in a failed $1 billion Republican security request, and a separate $400 million GOP-backed security bill is still pending despite Trump's pledge that taxpayers would pay nothing.
The project already razed the 120-year-old East Wing and faces a preservation lawsuit; although a judge briefly halted work, construction resumed pending a June hearing on whether the overhaul is legal.