Overview
- Trump told reporters Sunday that the 90,000‑square‑foot ballroom will sit over a military‑built underground complex, and on Monday his spokeswoman confirmed unspecified military upgrades at the White House.
- He said the event hall will use high‑grade bulletproof glass and a drone‑proof roof and described the structure above as a protective cover for the secure facility below.
- The project is presented as privately funded at roughly $400 million and designed to host about 1,000 guests on the former East Wing site that was demolished in October.
- A federal judge recently declined an immediate injunction but allowed revised claims, and a National Capital Planning Commission vote set for this week could shape whether above‑ground work advances.
- The former East Wing sat above the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, a World War II‑era bunker that officials say is being upgraded, and the White House cites national security to limit project details.