"Secret Bunker" in the White House... to Withstand a Nuclear Blast
(Arabi.net) As the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump races against time to complete the new “ballroom” project at the White House, former U.S. officials have revealed a highly fortified security facility located deep within the presidential complex.
The White House had previously announced that it received approval from the Supreme Court to proceed with building a ballroom at a cost of $400 million, as part of a project aimed at removing the traditional East Wing from the U.S. presidential residence and replacing it with a new facility.
However, former U.S. officials stated that Trump’s claim that the White House needs a new large ballroom because it would provide him and future presidents with a secure, fortified facility ignores the fact that the presidential complex already includes such a facility, according to The Washington Post.
The officials also pointed out that the highly fortified shelter was constructed deep underground more than a decade ago, capable of housing the president and his top aides in emergencies related to national security. They noted that the facility, which was secretly completed during the administration of President Barack Obama, can accommodate dozens of people for several weeks.
They added that the facility is located more than 60 feet (about 18 meters) below the White House complex and was built to withstand a nuclear explosion, ensuring that the president and his team have a secure command center to manage the country’s affairs during extreme crises.
Furthermore, the former officials argued that the existence of this shelter undermines the legal argument advanced by the Trump administration in the ongoing lawsuit over the construction of the $600 million ballroom complex, namely that completing the facility is necessary due to its importance to U.S. national security.
In response, the White House defended the project and criticized former officials for mentioning existing security facilities. Spokesperson Davis Engle said in a statement, “The East Wing modernization project is inextricably linked to the security of the president, the White House grounds, and certain security infrastructure assets.”
U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. issued an order last Friday allowing the Trump administration to continue ballroom construction in the short term, while the Supreme Court considers an emergency petition in a lawsuit challenging whether the project requires congressional approval.
