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USA31 March, 20263 min read

Trump Unveils $1 Billion Drone-Proof White House Ballroom With Shield for Military Hospital

Underground military complex being built beneath the White House ballroom. Drone-proof security features and a protective shield are planned for Washington.

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Trump Unveils $1 Billion Drone-Proof White House Ballroom With Shield for Military Hospital
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Ballroom, drones, and cost

President Donald Trump on Tuesday gave reporters a closer look at the construction of a White House ballroom on the site of the former East Wing, while the administration sought $1 billion from taxpayers for security additions on the White House campus. The PBS report said the Senate parliamentarian ruled the $1 billion proposal could not be included in a bill to fund immigrant enforcement agencies for three years, and it noted several Republican lawmakers balked at the price tag in an election year. Trump told reporters he highlighted the security aspects of the building, including its "dead flat" roof made of "very strong steel" and said it is "drone-proof" because "if a drone hits it, it bounces off, it won't have any impact — but it's also meant as a drone port, so it protects all of Washington, the roof of the building."

He also said the ballroom building goes down six stories underground and described it as "complex" because "everything is intertwined," with the roof going with the ground floor and down into the basement. The PBS account added that Trump said the ballroom building goes down six stories underground and will serve as a "shield" for a military hospital, research facilities, offices for the first lady and her staff, and a full-service kitchen, in addition to a ballroom big enough for 1,000 people.

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Opposition, litigation, and polling

The PBS report said polling shows most Americans oppose the ballroom, citing a Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted in April that found 56% of U.S. adults oppose tearing down the East Wing for the ballroom while 28% support it. It also said the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to halt construction until Congress approves plans for the building, and it reported Trump insisted he will have "very little" time to use the ballroom. In a separate account, the National News Desk said Trump told reporters the roof would be "drone-proof" and "missile-proof" once complete, and he described the facility as having state-of-the-art security technology.

That same report quoted Trump saying, "This is a gift to the United States of America," and it added that he said the project would be paid for by donors as well as himself. The PBS report also quoted White House spokesperson Davis Ingle saying Trump's tour was not in response to difficulties brewing in Congress, describing Trump as "excited to showcase to the press and American people the amazing gift he is giving".

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What Trump says comes next

The PBS report said Trump recently announced the ballroom will be ready in September 2028, less than six months before his term ends, and it quoted him saying, "This is really for other presidents." It also said Trump sidestepped a question about whether he'll kick in any more of his own money if Congress rejects the $1 billion funding request, while noting the Senate parliamentarian ruling dealt a blow to Republican plans to include the security request in the immigration-enforcement bill. In the National News Desk account, Trump said the ballroom would serve as a permanent venue for state dinners, diplomatic events and large receptions, eliminating the need for temporary tents frequently used during major White House gatherings.

That report also said Trump claimed the roof has "a 360-degree vision" of Washington and that the building is being paid for by donors, as well as himself, with Trump saying, "All of this was paid for by myself." Across the accounts, the PBS report described the project as embroiled in litigation in federal court, while the National News Desk said a proposal to fund $1 billion in security additions fails procedural rules under the Senate parliamentarian.

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