{"id":43426,"date":"2026-08-13T16:25:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T11:25:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=43426"},"modified":"2026-08-13T16:25:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T11:25:42","slug":"trumps-ballroom-costs-are-rising-what-we-know-about-the-secret-underground-bunker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=43426","title":{"rendered":"Trump&#039;s ballroom costs are rising. What we know about the secret underground bunker"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>The development costs of President Trump&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/local\/washington-dc\/2026\/03\/30\/trump-ballroom-east-wing-military-complex\" target=\"_blank\">White House ballroom<\/a> keep rising \u2014 as does speculation about what the finished project, including its underground complex, will look like.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The big picture:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/politics-policy\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\">Trump<\/a>&#8216;s ballroom project is more than a simple remodel of the East Wing. It&#8217;s a complete overhaul featuring what appears to be a military-grade underground bunker, meant to protect and secure the president.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<ul>\n<li>The project remains in legal limbo after a federal appeals court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/28543252-ballroom-appeals-decision\/\" target=\"_blank\">ruled in August<\/a> that Trump&#8217;s ballroom plans need congressional approval. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/08\/07\/trump-ballroom-project-blocked-appeals-court\" target=\"_blank\">Trump<\/a> said he plans to ask the Supreme Court to overturn the decision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>By the numbers:<\/strong> The ballroom is expected to cost around $600 million \u2014\u00a0with about half of that coming from taxpayer dollars, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/investigations\/2026\/06\/16\/records-reveal-600m-estimate-trumps-ballroom-project-with-half-taxpayers\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Washington Post<\/a> reported. <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It&#8217;s an increase from the White House&#8217;s initial <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/2025\/07\/the-white-house-announces-white-house-ballroom-construction-to-begin\/?query-11-page=3\" target=\"_blank\">$200 million <\/a>estimate, which they said would come from private donors. That amount was later amended to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2026\/08\/07\/trump-white-house-ballroom-appeals-court.html\" target=\"_blank\">$400 million<\/a> and then $600 million. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Trump&#8217;s administration is<\/strong> also planning to spend at least an additional $300 million on other projects around the White House complex, including a helipad, a visitor screening center and changes to the Rose Garden, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/investigations\/2026\/08\/12\/trump-administration-set-spend-least-900-million-white-house-construction\/\" target=\"_blank\">Post<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In May, the<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-ballroom-construction-east-wing-275f8034ad3817ca78aa085d1c202c32\" target=\"_blank\"> Trump administration<\/a> reportedly suggested asking taxpayers for $1 billion for security upgrades across the entire White House campus, though lawmakers seemed unconvinced by the request.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Reality check:<\/strong> Specifics about the ballroom and its underground complex remain unclear, as many of the details remain classified.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Trump himself has pointed to the &#8220;massive complex&#8221; being built underneath the ballroom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Read what we know below.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>What we know about the underground bunker<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.axios.com\/80KhzdqdlDtrKSi5guO7YO0matM=\/2026\/08\/12\/1786556874362.jpeg\"> <\/p>\n<div>Architect Shalom Baranes presents plans for President Trump&#8217;s proposed White House ballroom to the National Capital Planning Commission in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 8. Photo: Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<\/div>\n<p><strong>Zoom out: <\/strong>The size of the underground aspect of the projects lacks clarity, though the National Capital Planning Commission&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncpc.gov\/docs\/actions\/2026March\/8733_East_Wing_Modernization_Project_Staff_Report_Mar2026.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">official plan <\/a>suggests it ranges around 22,000 square feet.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;The military is building a massive complex under the ballroom, and that&#8217;s under construction, and we&#8217;re doing very well,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aHYNIijFLd0&amp;t=53\" target=\"_blank\">Trump said in April<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Trump said the complex goes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-reveals-new-details-bunker-like-ballroom-with-drone-base-2026-05-19\/\" target=\"_blank\">six stories deep<\/a> and that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-reveals-new-details-bunker-like-ballroom-with-drone-base-2026-05-19\/\" target=\"_blank\">ballroom itself<\/a> features a &#8220;drone-proof&#8221; roof and a &#8220;drone port.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>He also said the bunker will have bomb shelters and medical facilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The underground complex <\/strong>mostly aims to modify and potentially replace the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC), which is a secure underground bunker built during World War II that has been updated over decades. <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The PEOC has been used for short-term shelter for officials. It was used to protect Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice during the September 11 attacks.<\/li>\n<li>Trump was protected there too during 2020 protests following the death of George Floyd, per the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/04\/02\/us\/politics\/trump-ballroom-military-bunker.html\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What the entire ballroom project has<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.axios.com\/fiXNd8dBwq_5_zekX78te5NO-os=\/2026\/08\/12\/1786556705393.jpeg\"> <\/p>\n<div>Construction continues on President Trump&#8217;s White House ballroom and a new South Lawn helipad in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 10. Photo: Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images<\/div>\n<p><strong>The entire ballroom project <\/strong>includes features that aim to protect the president.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Specifics about the ballroom project have been spelled out in a <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.dcd.287645\/gov.uscourts.dcd.287645.82.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation<\/a> against the project&#8217;s construction.<\/li>\n<li>The entire facility has &#8220;military-grade&#8221; vents for air conditioning, hospital and medical facilities, &#8220;top secret &#8220;military installations, and &#8220;bomb shelters,&#8221; the filing says. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The massive complex <\/strong>has been described in lawsuits as a national security facility.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The project includes &#8220;bunkers, bomb-shelters, and military and medical infrastructure,&#8221; per the <a href=\"https:\/\/media.cadc.uscourts.gov\/opinions\/docs\/2026\/08\/26-5123-2187096.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">D.C. Circuit<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Government officials have described the security features as necessary to defend the president from drones, missiles and biohazards, per <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-ballroom-court-ruling-1528247275ec6103da892d271d4ee883\" target=\"_blank\">AP<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Why the White House wants the renovations<\/h2>\n<p><strong>What they&#8217;re saying: <\/strong>&#8220;The East Wing Modernization Project is inextricably tied to the security of the President, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets,&#8221; Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, tells Axios.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The White House has pointed to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/federal-grand-jury-indicts-8-men-conspiracies-related-plot-attack-ufc-freedom-250-event\" target=\"_blank\">foiled attack plot<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/federal-grand-jury-indicts-8-men-conspiracies-related-plot-attack-ufc-freedom-250-event\" target=\"_blank\"> <\/a>planned for the White House&#8217;s UFC fight in July and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/04\/26\/white-house-correspondents-dinner-whcd-shooting\" target=\"_blank\">White House Correspondents Dinner<\/a> attack as reasons to add security upgrades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Zoom out: <\/strong>Matthew Quinn, deputy director of the Secret Service, wrote in a <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.dcd.287645\/gov.uscourts.dcd.287645.69.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">court filing in April<\/a> that the ballroom will help keep the president safe.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;An above-ground slab and topping structure is needed to ensure that key underground structures with a security purpose are properly protected and strengthened,&#8221; he wrote.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Leaving the project site unfinished imperils the ability of the Secret Service to meet its statutory mission to protect the President.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Go deeper: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/03\/19\/white-house-trump-changes-photos\" target=\"_blank\">White House makeover under Trump: See all the proposed changes <\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Avery Lotz contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The development costs of President Trump&#8217;s White House ballroom keep rising \u2014 as does speculation about what the finished project, including its underground complex, will look like. The big picture: Trump&#8216;s ballroom project is more than a simple remodel of the East Wing. It&#8217;s a complete overhaul featuring what appears to be a military-grade underground&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.axios.com\/80KhzdqdlDtrKSi5guO7YO0matM=\/2026\/08\/12\/1786556874362.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}