Trump's 'bunker-ballroom' plan sparks security, funding row after attack

A third attempt on Donald Trump's life was sobering. It shocked the left- right animosity into a few hours of calm. Even the man stepped out of character to say a few nice things about journalists with whom he was having dinner before being rushed out. Then he turned philosophical, saying assassins target 'the most impactful people'.

But when in shock, use the crisis to push your cause - which he did within hours of the attempted attack. It was his beloved ballroom, a fortified 90,000-sq ft building to secure him and future presidents. The ballroom obsession also blew open what once was relatively secret, known only to a privileged few - an upgraded underground shelter for emergencies hiding below.

Together they become a big, beautiful ballroom-bunker designed to protect a modern-day presidency. The new version to be built where the now-demolished East Wing of the White House stood will be drone-proof, bio attack-proof and, of course, infiltrator-proof.


With a state-of-the-art military command centre and hospital, the new Presidential Emergency Operations Center will be protected by missile-resistant steel columns. Details about the bunker have largely come from court filings and Trump's inability to be tight-lipped about anything.

The existing bunker dates back to WW2, when concerns about the White House coming under an aerial attack first arose. A fortified structure was built under the East Wing, with a tunnel reportedly connecting it to the main building. It got a few upgrades after 9/11 when George W and Laura Bush, along with cabinet members, were secured behind steel doors. They noticed the rudimentary nature of things - unfinished hallways, pipes hanging from the ceiling, and a fold-out bed for resting.

Trump also got a taste of the bunker during his first term when the Secret Service kept him there briefly in May 2020 during Black Lives Matter protests outside the White House. The bunker had no escalator, no gold-trimming - like in a 'hellhole' country. The Trump White House believes in the gold standard, be it curtains or coasters, fireplace or frames. Behold the before-after photos, and note the onset of the golden age in the White House.

The security breach during the White House correspondents' dinner has, obviously, raised serious questions about the need for better protocols and tighter rules. Secret Service agents fired five shots, but none apparently hit Cole Tomas Allen. He was captured because he tripped and fell.

The security scenario at the Washington Hilton - the same hotel where Ronald Reagan was shot, and famously 'forgot to duck', 45 yrs ago - was so airy that even the would-be assassin mocked the easy-going atmosphere in his 'manifesto'. 'No damn security, not in transport, not in the hotel, not in the event... if I was an Iranian agent, instead of an American citizen, I could have brought a damn Ma Deuce (nickname for the Browning M2 .50-caliber heavy machine gun) in here and no one would have noticed shit.'

Questions are multiplying about security and the bunker-ballroom that remains mired in litigation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organisation, sued the White House in December after the East Wing was demolished without approval from key federal agencies and Congress. A lower court blocked the project, but an appeals court has allowed underground construction to go on. So far, it's a bunker, but no ballroom.

Trump's lawyers have called the suit 'frivolous' and demanded it be dropped. In a new filing this week, they said the latest assassination attempt proves an urgent need for 'a secure space for large events'. But the preservationists refused to back down. Of course, MAGA influencers amplified Trump's demand in almost identical messages across social media platforms.

Here's another twist: Trump has repeatedly claimed the ballroom won't cost the taxpayers a penny because private donors will foot the bill expected to be around $300 mn. But on Monday, his main man on Capitol Hill, Senator Lindsey Graham, said he will introduce a bill to authorise $400 mn in federal money for the project.

Democrats, mouths agape, strongly opposed the about-turn from private to public money, as did a few Republicans. But remember, Trump also said he won't start wars, keep gas and grocery prices low, and focus on America's inner self.