Trump Says Military Building 'Massive' Complex Under White House Ballroom
Trump said the military is building a 'massive' complex under a privately funded $400 million, 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom that faces legal and planning reviews.
Western JournalTrump Reveals New White House Ballroom Will Have a 'Massive,' Hidden Military Purpose
Daily SignalWhite House Ballroom Project to Include ‘Massive’ Military Complex
Military TimesTrump says massive military complex to be built beneath White House ballroom
USA TODAYForget the war in Iran. We must support Trump's ballroom | Opinion
Overview
President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that the military is building a "massive complex" beneath the planned ballroom and that the work is under construction and ahead of schedule.
The East Wing was demolished in October to make room for a 90,000-square-foot, $400 million ballroom that the president said is being financed by himself and private donors.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed suit in December 2025 seeking to suspend construction, and a federal judge rejected the group's initial request to pause work as an amended complaint awaited an expected ruling by the end of March.
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom is expected to hold about 650 people, has drawn criticism from Democrats and preservation advocates, faces a National Capital Planning Commission vote in April, and is expected to open in 2028.
The National Capital Planning Commission's April vote will follow earlier approval from the Commission of Fine Arts, while legal challenges over independent reviews, environmental assessments and congressional authorization remain pending.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the ballroom project as controversial and potentially secretive, juxtaposing Trump’s dramatic claims with skeptical institutional and legal context. They emphasize an accelerated timeline, note the White House’s omission of an underground military facility, and highlight preservation lawsuits and architects’ concerns to portray contested, scrutinized construction.