Donald Trump’s renovations of the White House are proving to be anything but ordinary.
Alongside his $300 million “Big Beautiful Ballroom,” the former president is overseeing a complete overhaul of the top-secret bunker beneath the East Wing, a facility with a history dating back to Franklin D. Roosevelt.
From Historic Roots to Modern Upgrades
The Presidential Emergency Operations Center, or PEOC, has been part of the White House complex since the early 1940s.
Originally built under FDR during World War II, it has been expanded and updated by successive administrations.
Harry Truman, for example, undertook major renovations that reshaped the White House and its underground infrastructure.
Despite its age, the bunker’s role remained largely dormant until 9/11, when Vice President Dick Cheney, First Lady Laura Bush, and other top officials were hurriedly brought inside during the attacks.
Laura Bush described the experience in her memoir, noting the steel doors, mechanical corridors, and the secure command rooms where key decisions were made under intense pressure.
National Security Drives Secrecy
Trump’s administration has kept details of the East Wing rebuild largely under wraps, citing national security concerns.
White House director of management Joshua Fisher told the National Capital Planning Commission that the “top-secret nature” of the project justified bypassing the usual approval process.
He emphasized that the bunker would be outfitted with modern defenses and infrastructure capable of meeting future threats, improving on technology that is more than 80 years old.
A recent court filing also highlighted the stakes: halting the renovations, the administration argued, could “endanger national security and therefore impair the public interest.”
This statement comes amid legal challenges from preservation groups upset that the East Wing was demolished without prior oversight.
The Ballroom and Oversight Battles
While the bunker steals headlines, Trump’s $300 million ballroom is also under scrutiny.
Formal plans were submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts in late December 2025, with public meetings scheduled in January and final approvals expected in February and March.
Lawyers for the Department of Justice have stressed in court that construction must continue due to security considerations, even as details of the ballroom remain in flux.
A Massive, Secret Underground Network
The new bunker isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a sprawling, multistory facility.
According to author Ronald Kessler, it reaches five stories underground, with its own air and food supply to support prolonged emergencies.
It is sealed to withstand nuclear or radiological threats and serves as a fully functional command center for the president and senior aides.
Tunnels provide discreet exits to the Treasury Building, H Street, and the South Lawn, where Marine One is on standby.
The facility reportedly cost over $376 million to construct, and Trump and select aides received a private tour upon entering the White House.
The bunker represents the latest chapter in the evolution of presidential security, blending historical significance with cutting-edge technology.
A History of Protecting Presidents
From Roosevelt to Bush to Trump, the White House bunker has evolved alongside the threats facing the nation.
What started as a wartime precaution has become a state-of-the-art command center capable of sustaining the president and key personnel through modern crises.
As Trump’s renovations continue, the East Wing and its subterranean counterpart are cementing their roles as central to both national security and presidential legacy.
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