Trump’s $600 million ballroom has a bunker problem: One already exists

President Donald Trump has cast his $600 million White House ballroom as more than a place to dance — it’s a matter of national security. But a hidden bunker capable of withstanding a nuclear blast reportedly already lies more than 60 feet (18 meters) beneath the White House, according to the Washington Post on Sunday.

Built into the bedrock beneath Washington, the facility was designed to withstand a nuclear blast and can accommodate dozens of people for weeks, according to the report that cited three former U.S. government officials.

The bunker has enough food to last several months as well as an independent air circulation system. Its exact location and layout remain classified for security reasons.

Construction of the bunker reportedly began after 9/11 terrorist attacks and was completed in secret during the Barack Obama administration.

An older facility, the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC), had already existed beneath the White House East Wing since World War II. Secret Service agents evacuated then-Vice President Dick Cheney and first lady Laura Bush to the PEOC during 9/11.

The Washington Post reported that the government later decided a stronger facility was needed to protect against more powerful attacks, which led to the construction of the newer bunker under the Obama administration.

President Donald Trump has pushed for a new ballroom because he believed the White House lacks a permanent venue large enough to host major state dinners and other events.

The planned 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom would accommodate up to 650 guests and occupy the site of the demolished East Wing.

But the Trump administration has also invoked national security as a justification for the project.

A massive military facility is planned beneath the ballroom to replace the existing PEOC. Reuters reported that the six-story underground complex would include research facilities, bomb shelters and secure communications facilities –even a drone base on the roof.

“The ballroom is so much a military component with the drones and the bomb shelters,” Trump told the reporters on Wednesday.

Other administration officials have made similar arguments.

White House Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said the president and senior national security officials must be able to continue working from a protected facility even if the capital comes under attack.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll described the new underground complex as essential to preserving the president’s command authority during an attack or global crisis.

Joshua Fisher, a senior White House official overseeing the project, characterized the entire complex as a massive “safe room” designed to protect the president and keep the government functioning.

Documents submitted by the administration to the Supreme Court show that even the ballroom itself is being designed with attacks in mind. Materials such as concrete, steel and glass were selected to withstand bombs, rockets, missiles and nuclear blasts.

But former officials say the existing secret bunker was built for much the same purpose: keeping the president safe even during an attack involving nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction.

The revelation has therefore raised questions about the administration’s argument that the new facility is essential for national security.

The White House defended the project in response to questions from the Washington Post on Sunday.

“The East Wing Modernization Project is inextricably tied to the security of the President, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets,” said White House spokesman Davis Ingle in a statement.

The ballroom project also faces questions over its $600 million price tag — and who will ultimately foot the bill.

“The Ballroom will be paid for with ZERO Dollars of Taxpayer Money,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.

But according to the Washington Post, the contractor estimated the total project cost at $600 million and expected taxpayers to shoulder more than half the bill.

The project is also tied up in a legal battle.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit in December 2025 to halt the ballroom’s construction. The lawsuit argued that the president lacked the authority to carry out such a sweeping renovation of the White House without congressional approval.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered construction of the aboveground ballroom halted on March 31. An appeals court upheld that order on Aug. 7. Construction of the underground military facilities, however, was allowed to continue due to national security purposes.

Work can continue until the Supreme Court issues a further order.

Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary order on Friday which allowed aboveground construction to resume while he considers the Trump administration’s emergency application. However, the order did not constitute a ruling that construction of the ballroom is legal.

The White House has told the court that the project is now about "65 percent complete." Some 250 workers are working 20 hours a day, seven days a week, to push the project forward.

BY HAN JEE-HYE [[email protected]]