What We Know About the ‘Massive’ Military Complex Being Built Beneath the White House

An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 23, 2025. The demolition is part of President Donald Trump’s plan to build a multimillion-dollar ballroom on the eastern side of the White House. —Eric Lee—Getty ImagesAs the court battle over President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom drags on, his planned reconstruction of an underground military complex is being pulled into the spotlight.In the fall, the Trump Administration began demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make way for the President’s $400 million ballroom. The move prompted the National Trust for Historic Preservation to file a lawsuit against Trump and members of his Administration, in which the group argued that the construction was unlawful. Months of litigation ensued. Then, on March 31, a judge sided with the preservation group, ordering that “the ballroom construction project must stop until Congress authorizes its completion.” He left open, though, the possibility that some construction could continue if it was “necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House.”In response, the Trump Administration is arguing that the project is an important national security upgrade, pointing to a “massive” military complex it wants to build underneath the ballroom.On Thursday, the judge ruled that the Administration has to stop all aboveground work on the construction project until it receives Congressional approval. But his order permits the White House to continue construction underground, including on the military complex.Trump’s planned military complex would…

Continue reading →